


Role Reversal

by Sandara



Series: XVIII [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anal Sex, Android Gavin Reed, Blow Jobs, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Case Fic, Cults, Dom/sub Undertones, Drug Use, First Kiss, Human Upgraded Connor | RK900, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Praise Kink, Role Reversal, Slow Burn, Transhumanism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 172,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22516345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandara/pseuds/Sandara
Summary: Detective Richard Nines Kent returns to the red ice task force after a month of absence only to find his undercover operation has gone sour. He had been assigned 5 units of GV200- the newest android especially built for infiltration purposes- but after dire circumstances, he finds himself with only one left. The remaining unit is his last opportunity to dismantle the biggest ring of dealers in Detroit … but it's also a total asshole with a bad temper like no other android he had ever met.OrHow I switched every character and still managed to keep it canon-compliant throughout the whole game story, adding the presence of Nines and Gavin.This is now a series!
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: XVIII [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2010829
Comments: 122
Kudos: 277





	1. Adaptation Software

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! First of all, thank you for even giving this a hit. As I said before, this story keeps in line with the game down to dates and hours, so as not to diverge too much from it. Nines's (RK900) and Gavin’s side of the story runs parallel to the game, and intersects with it multiple times.

Date:  
 _ **NOV 5th** , 2038_   
Time:  
 _AM **10:45** :10_

"IT'S THE ONLY ONE LEFT!?"

Detective Richard "Nines" Kent was not a man that would lose his composure easily. No. He was methodical, trustworthy, collected. He never raised his voice, nor fell into nonsensical emotional outbursts, to which his brother, on the other hand, was so prone.  
He was, as so many people liked to point, more android-like than androids themselves. So, seeing him this upset - shouting, pacing, and with his hair falling wildly over his face - was a sight that Officer North Collins not only did not expect, but would rather not to be around at all.

But it was her job, kind of her job, at least for the past year or so.

"Okay, listen up, asshole! This isn't how things should've turned out, and we clearly fucked up at some point... but you weren't even here to begin with!"

"I can't believe this. I leave for a month, A MONTH!... and everything we've been working on for the past six goes down the drain. You're a bunch of… ugh!" he snapped, pointing at the officers before him, but catching his tongue before any other insulting words could escape his mouth.

He paced in front of them in long strides.

"Everybody out… North, you stay," he ordered.

Quickly, everybody scrambled out of the meeting room as if fleeing from hell itself; all, but one officer. I'm so fucked, North thought, pinching the bridge of her nose with two fingers. She turned to look at her commanding officer, the usually calm and composed Detective Kent.

You could hardly call him that now.

Hands pulling and then smoothing his dark auburn hair, the man in front of her paced the room from wall to wall, stopping just to tug at the collar of his turtleneck shirt as if short for air. He was frowning and muttering to himself, sickly pale and trembling ever-so-slightly.

"My brother is gonna freak out; Stern is gonna freak out! Jesus Christ, this is a nightmare,” he croaked with one hand on his forehead and the other unbuttoning the two first buttons of his collar. Shallow uneven breathing filled the room.

"Hey… you okay there, buddy?" North chimed in with a worried expression. 

Never had she seen her boss so close to a mental breakdown. Sure, he was the human embodiment of the word uptight, a stick up his ass since the day he put a foot in the DPD, pissing everyone off with his bigheaded attitude. The man basically lived by the proverbial motto of efficiency, letting no room for error- neither human nor android.

This display was something new… and eerie. 

"DO I LOOK OKAY TO YOU!?" he barked back at her his usually perfect hair ruffled over his face, pale as a paper. 

The man returned to pacing, mumbling to himself. He took the pen out from his breast pocket and flicked it between his long fingers. Fidgeting was a familiar trait in the disaster that was the two Anderson brothers.

North huffed, with arms crossed over her chest and a deep scowl in her face.

"Well, there's nothing we can do now to change it ... What's done is done. So we better come up with something, or it's your ass, and everyone else's in this task force that Stern is going to roast."

Nines stopped for a second, the pencil still in between his index and middle finger. He breathed in once and straightened up, pushing a messy lock back into his perfect hair.

"You are right. Damage control, we must do damage control and take hold of the situation at hand."   
And as easy as that, he was back to his usual self.

North thanked whatever-god who had listened to her because he had no idea what to do if Nines went into meltdown. She was not a patient woman and quite bad in the emotional-support department. Dealing with a panic-attacked-boss was not in her job application.

"Not all is lost… we still have control over the Gagliano Family movements, the bugs haven't been found yet, and we have Evans for breaking his parole. We can still bust them if we work fast," Nines continued, more to himself than to her.

"Whatever you say, boss," North responded, rolling her eyes. "But we have a- … hm, more urgent problem here." 

She spun around, and for the first time in all that spectacular show of emotions, both humans turned their attention towards the android seated on the table, inside the interrogation room.

"What are we gonna do with him?"

\-------

In interrogation room No. 2, sitting in a chair facing the door and leaning forward with the hood over his head, was the only android left. Nines looked at it through the one-way glass from the other room, reports in hand. He reviewed the CyberLife guideline:

The GV200 model was specially designed for military and law enforcement activity, with the purpose of efficiently infiltrating any terrorist cell o criminal organization.   
Its chassis was made with the most resisting and light alloy of plasticmetal, just recently developed, giving it a total weight of only 80 pounds; this made it the lightest and fastest model produced so far.  
It could hide its LED easily behind the synthetic skin, this one specially designed to emulate human flaws such as stubble and tiny scars, so precise that they seemed almost hand-painted on its body.   
It was quick, adaptable, and capable of imitating humans and androids alike.

Its most interesting featured- the one that finally convinced Stern into giving the funds to seal the deal- was what CyberLife engineers referred to as an _adaptation software_.  
This software provided GV200 with the capacity to act like its human targets and learn from them. It could imitate language traits, attitudes, behaviors, and even display simulated reactions in response to its targets' emotions, making it look human. The most "human-like" android CyberLife had built so far. Perfect for gaining criminals' trust, perfect for infiltration, perfect for acting as a spy.

  
It was also, apparently, an absolute and utter failure.

  
The DPD was assigned five units to infiltrate and bust the Gagliano family - one, if not the most, well organized and influential gang in Detroit- six months ago. The responsibility fell on the recently assigned Detective Richard "Nines" Kent, transferred just a year before to cover for his brother, who had been seriously injured during a raid.

By the time he had to take a paid-leave -"family matters" was the only brief explanation Captain Stern gave- the plan was running smoothly. The android had settled effortlessly into the gang's operations, infiltrating the lower ranks with ease.   
Richard had left with a bit of apprehension, but confident that everything would be fine by the time he returned, entrusting Officer (Detective really, but recently demoted) Collins with commanding everything.

  
Four units later (23 to 26), he was standing in front of the only GV200 left.

Its LED glowed a steady yellow, keeping its eyes fixed on the door in impatient wait. Stains of wet thirium covered its face and shirt, dripping from a slash that crossed its nose. It appeared to be glowing with a similar hue to the blue blood staining the android's clothes.  
Its cracked white knuckles had what was probably human blood, or so Nines believed since he couldn't distinguish it well from that distance. He could see the metal-plastic alloy underneath, since the synthetic skin had malfunctioned and failed to cover his right hand.  
Officer North was already there, keeping an eye on the quiet android.

His eyes fell back to the reports on his hands, re-reading the conclusions. 

_#722 107 202 - 23: Shot._   
_#722 107 202 - 24: Ran over by two squad cars._   
_#722 107 202 - 25: Lost in the river between the Canadian- US border (Not recovered)._   
_#722 107 202 - 26: Blown apart in a red ice lab._

Jesus, four androids destroyed, lost, or damaged beyond repair in less than a month.   
He had read the reports one after the other, feeling how his precarious Zen mode threw itself into out of the window. He had to take a moment as not to freak out again. How could this happen? Why hadn't North called him? He would have immediately returned if he had known all of this.

Pushing the documents aside and drinking a big gulp of coffee, he entered the interrogation room. Both sets of eyes turned to him, but the android did not move from his slouched position. 

He sat down in front of the last remaining unit.  
#722 107 202 – 27.   
He sighed.

"GV200, brief me about today's operation…" he ordered tiredly, looking at the android with uninterested eyes.

"Kiss my ass, meat sack…" was the elegant answer the android gave, leaning back on the chair and crossing his arms over his torso "… and my name is Gavin."

Silence fell over the interrogation room. Nines's hand gave a little twitch, quickly subjugated. He furrowed his brows, turning towards Collins. The woman had stayed behind him, standing by the door, fingers toying with her badge, as if afraid of losing it. She just shrugged.

"Charming…" Kent muttered. 

He had left before formally meeting any of the units; yet to experience for himself the true meaning of the adaptation software with which they had been built. It was positively... realistic; he had to admit.   
Turning back to the android, he leaned across the table a little, examining his face. The android withdrew.

"Hey, too close for comfort… back away, ape." 

The android had sharp hazel eyes, a long but narrow nose, and a strong jaw with what Nines assumed was a designer's idea of a manly stubble. He took a closer look at his injured nose, the way the wound glowed with an azure flicker, no longer bleeding.

"It appears to have malfunctioned,” Nines concluded, hand resting on his chin. “As if it was stuck in this adaptive software, even while out of his mission."

"Well, they're programmed to act like a tough guy,” North agreed, shrugging. “But I’ve never seen them like this with us, and he's been like this since we retrieved him."

"I see... maybe this malfunction is what made them fail their missions in the first place.” Nines straightened up, tucking his arms behind his back, and clearing his throat before speaking “GV200, run a checkup on your software."

"Fuck you…"

"I beg your pardon?" a little twitch appeared on Nines’ left eye.

"I said, F-U-C-K you. Is human hearing that bad? Let me repeat it then, FUCK YOU. I'm not doing any goddamn software checkup; there is nothing wrong with me so back off, Detective Asshole," said the android, his voice was sharp but full of anger.   
Nines had never heard an android speak like this before; it was incredible what this adaptation software was capable of.

"If its anyone fault that we've failed, it's yours! You and your stupid human plans. Have you thought about that, monkey? …That maybe, just maybe, we were obliterated because you' re just so fucking incompetent at your job that following your orders fucked everything up!" the android continued, his LED turning bright red.

_Distress;_ Nines knew little about androids, but he knew enough to understand what a red LED meant.

He felt a shiver down his spine, and his mouth dried up, instinct kicking in at the sight of danger. His eyes narrowed, his fingers instinctively reached to his side, wrapping over the grip of his gun.

"North…" he called, his voice without a tremble. His eyes fixed on the cold mechanic hue of the android's stare, on how the red LED glimmered over them.

"Sir,” she replied gravely. Nines could feel her ready to act, hand also on her weapon.

"Inform me about the retrieving of this unit, now,” he ordered.

"His mission was to accompany two subjects into a red ice deal. Unit 27 reported that his cover had been blown; We ordered him to stay put, to not compromised the mission. When we got to him, of the three humans implicated, one had fled, and the other two were wounded. Unit 27 was damaged but still functional," North swiftly and diligently explained.

"It disobeyed direct orders," Nines said seriously.

"I was gonna be destroyed! Like all them before me!" the android interrupted, standing up, knocking the chair down. 

North aimed her gun skillfully at the android's chest. She was a skillful marksman.

"Freeze!" she exclaimed. 

Nines gripped to the table, looking directly at the android's face. Its features twisted into a grimace, mouth partially opened, showing teeth in a feral way. The LED flickered quickly, desperately even.  
It was rage, but mostly… fear. This were real emotions; no software could imitate them. 

He drew a conclusion.

"My God, he is a deviant…" North's voice came out as a verdict. _'Indeed,'_ Richard replied mentally.

  
The android heaved, his entire body showing clear signs of stress. His eyes darted side to side as if looking for a way out, running pre-constructions for the most effective way to escape. But none of them would work, not without critically damaging him or… killing at least one of the humans before him.

He swallowed before slumping back into the chair, his shoulders hanging loose at his sides, and his hands onto its face, hiding it.

_'Defeated,'_ Nines thought, _‘Why?’_

"Officer Collins, lower your weapon."

"But, Nines… sir, he is-"

"That's an order, officer," Richard's voice commanded, and North reluctantly obliged.   
The android raised his head in disbelief.

"You will say nothing about this to captain Stern." He turned around and looked her straight in the eyes. His voice was calm and collected, but there was no room to argue. "We still don't know if it's really a deviant or just a malfunction on its program. This IS our last remaining unit, and I will not lose months of work because of your ineptitude."  
This was Detective Nines Kent's commanding voice, the one that made everyone tremble and listen, like some prophet's gospel in the middle of the Bible Belt.

"You are bat-shit crazy, " North said, completely taken aback by his words. 

Detective Stick-up-his-ass: Who always followed to protocol, to whom work ethics were more important than any interpersonal relationship, who tried with all his might to break out of the omnipresent shadow of his older brother's triumph… was asking her to break the law? Asking her to ignore the fact that the android in front of them was a deviant? That they were instructed to report any android even suspected of deviancy to their superior and to CyberLife?  
... because if that was it, she was absolutely on board with the idea.

"Fine… I'm going to pretend that I believe in that shit about it malfunctioning and not being deviant." North smiled and shrugged. “Mainly because I don't wanna explain to CyberLife that we destroyed another Gavin... again," she added, unnecessarily.

Gavin raised his head, glaring between the two humans as if he suddenly couldn't understand their language. He looked straight to the male in front of him, his LED returning to yellow, and his stress levels slowly dropping.  
Nine's eyes returned to him; Bluish Grey vs. Mechanical Hazel.

"Listen GV200,” he said, in the most amicable way he could; after all, he needed the collaboration of the android. “We will not report you as a deviant to CyberLife... not just yet. We need your help and, as I see it, your cover may still be up, since all people related to your altercation are in our custody."

The android sighed -Amazing what the adaptation software could do. So human-like, Nines thought. - and scratched the back of his neck, pulling the hood away from its head.   
Messy brown hair sloppily combed back, some locks hanging over the right side of his face.

"It's not like I have any other option… do I?" A grin curved his lips.

"No, you don't," Nines clarified seriously.

"Okay… Fine!” He huffed, like a ten-year-old that reluctantly agrees to do the dishes, crossing his arms over his chest. “I'll play along with your game…"

North breathe out a sigh of relief, putting away her handgun.

"Good,” he praised. “I see that you are capable of reasoning, despite your previous childish attitude." Richard gave a small smile, tight and constrained, as if it hurt him a bit. His chin lay on his intertwined fingers, his elbows resting over the table.

Gavin grin changed into a disgusted scowl. 

"Okay... listen up, Meat sack; if I'm going to play your little game, I have my own rules," he exclaimed, pointing his finger towards the detective and then to North, who raised her hands as to say _I have no saying in this, spare me._

"I think you're mistaken, GV200… you are in no position to negotiate," Richard said calmly, sitting straight in the chair, again in control of everything. ' _Like it should be.'_

"I think you are the one mistaken here, Detective Nines. I do have something to bargain with." An arrogant smile crossed the android's face. "... and that is your complete failure in your first and very important mission as commanding officer."

He gave a little laugh, catching quickly on the minor twitch on the detective's hand, the way his brow slightly frowned, his heart rate racing. He could see that; he was an android after all, far superior to these stupid narcissistic apes.  
He continued.

"Maybe I should go and tell Lieutenant Connor Anderson about all of this! Now that he's been reassigned to the deviant cases! …He will be thrilled to know how well his brother is doing with the Gagliano op."

Richard calm demeanor broke just slightly, his upper lip twitching just a little. The android was bluffing, he must've been; there was no way he will go through with his threats, he'd as much to lose as him in this.  
He could hear the barely audible cough that came from North, right behind him.

"Speak your mind…" Richard replied. 

Bluffing or not, he couldn't risk it. Not with everything he had given to get where he was, and certainly not with his brother in the same precinct. Gavin smiled, satisfied with the answer.

"Relax, Detective… my demands are completely reasonable, I assure you. Don't get your panties in a twist." 

A soft growl left Nines's throat, and North chuckled. How could the worst day of her life become the best in such a short time? She liked the android already.

"My patience isn't infinite, GV200," he threatened. At that, the android raised a finger.

"First… my name is Gavin Reed, and I will be addressed as such," he stated. 

Reasonable.

"Very well... anything else, Gavin Reed?" he relented. A pleased smiled appeared on the android's face, and his LED changed to blue.   
Interesting, the detective thought, with something as simple as that.

"Second,” he raised another finger. “You must cover for me with CyberLife. I don't want them probing my brain and messing with my code."

"That goes without sayin'... If they do that, they'll find out you're a deviant, right?" North chimed in, looking at Gavin and then to her superior. A displeased grimace cloaked the detective's face at the interruption, but then turned back to Gavin, waiting for his answer.

The android looked at her and grinned, scratching his chin.

"It's not as easy to spot a deviant as you might think…"

"Yet, here we are,” Richard said with a crooked smile, hands gesturing to the three of them. “We saw your deviated-self right away."

"Fuck you, you pressured me too much,” He barked, pointing at the senior officer. “I got shot, handled like a bag, and thrown into this room to be interrogated by a prick... of course I fucked up." Back to yellow LED; _So quick-tempered._

"He has a point," North retorted, looking at the other human.   
Nines turned towards her with rising upset, _Which side are you again?_ He silently questioned her.

"We will do our best to hide your deviant status from CyberLife… but you must maintain control over your so-call emotions. There's only so much we can put on to the adaptation software before it brings out suspicious." The detective folded his arms over his chest, one hand on his chin. 

Stoic was a good word to describe him.

“Sure, fine… whatever.”

"Is there anything else? We don't have much time," he pressured, looking at the analog watch on his wrist.

"Yeah, one more thing,” Another finger rose with the other two. Both humans looked at him. “I'm not gonna follow any command if I find them stupid... I'm not gonna get myself destroyed over your foolish orders."

Richard leaned towards the android; hands intertwined.

"If you disobey direct orders, you will be spotted as a deviant." Clenched teeth; hands tight. The stress level of the human increased, and so did the android's.

"It's better than being blown apart, shot, or dismembered for YOUR foolish actions."

"For God sake, you expect me to give you free action in this? Are you out of your mind!?” He snapped, slapping his hands over the table. The android's LED became red again. “… I am the detective in charge of this operation, even humans -which are alive and capable of true reasoning- follow my orders… you're not getting any special treatment." He stood up, hands still flat over the table.

"You are an android… deviant or not, you're under my command. You will follow my orders, or I'll get your ass decommissioned and send back to CyberLife to be deactivated. Did I make myself clear?!"

Gavin got up too, baring his teeth once again. Both men glared at the other, on the verge of throwing punches, just a few inches apart. The only thing keeping them apart was the table between them, pushed around so many times that the folders over it had fallen to the ground.

"I'm not gonna die because of you…" The android's words came in a snarl. It was a vow to stay alive.

"Rest assured, it won't happen under my watch," replied the detective. Although the words seemed comforting, they sounded more like a challenge.

"You better keep that promise” The android backed away, turning his face away from the man. Nines stepped back and automatically straightened up the creases on his jacket.

"Officer Collins,” he called. The woman, who had been staring at the display in a daze-like state, snapped up.

"Yes, sir?"

"Get someone who can fix him… we can't use him looking like this. Call me when it's done," he ordered, retrieving the files from the floor. The man walked out of the interrogation room without looking back at the android.

"Well, that went well… don't you think?" North turned to look at the android, who had returned to the chair, slumped over with his hood up.

"I fucking hate him…"

"You are not the first and certainly not the last; he's a piece of work... Now, how the fuck am I gonna find someone to fix you up?"

Gavin grinned to himself, tuning out the woman's voice. He was alive, he was safe for now, and he went from being called an 'it'… to a 'he' by the detective himself. That counted as a win to him.

\---------------

Richard crossed the bullpen in long strides, until reaching his desk. He sat down, looking at the neatly arranged table. Even though nothing was out of place, and no dust covered anything, his hands moved swiftly, arranging things once again.   
Realigning the pencils, _1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9,_ the stock of post-it in 90° degrees with the stapler, _1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9,_ his foot tapping on the floor, _1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9._  
 _Control yourself, breathe, count… don't lose it._

His left hand found the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled it open just a little too forceful. It quickly darted towards the very back of it, finally finding what he was looking for. _Quitting my ass_ , he told himself, grasping at the Marlboro package with trembling hands.

"Nines?" a soft voice, so much like his own, called him. Startled, he knocked his head on the table, and the cigarettes fell from his grasp.

"Ouch, shit... Con-Connor,” he said, trying to maintain a calm demeanor as he rubbed the back of his head. “Good morning. How's your leg?"

His brother's face looked tired, big purple bags under his sad brown eyes. Despite that, a warm-worried smile curved his lips, chuckling a little.

"Behaving for now. How’s your head?” he chuckled again as Richard flushed slightly in embarrassment. “… I'm glad to be back at work."

"I'm glad you're back." Richard managed to smile, genuinely this time.

"Smoke-break?" the older one asked, looking at Richard's discarded smokes. The man let his shoulders slumped, moving uneasily on his chair. 

"Yes," he admitted. 

"Good, me too. Care if I join you?" A soft smile reappeared on Connor's face as he balanced his weight to the cane, showing him his cigarettes.

"So much for quitting, eh?"

"Maybe next week."   
They shared a peculiar laughter. 

Both brothers were far too strange for anyone to even try to comprehend. Richard, uptight and severe; Connor, sweet but socially awkward, both uncanny intelligent.   
Throughout their lives, they had been teased about it: _The Anderson freaks_ in school; _The wonder brothers_ in the academy… and now _The android duo_ , for their often strange and enigmatic behavior.   
Despite their quirks, they were the best detectives on the precinct.

Nines stepped out from behind his desk and joined the other man, marching towards the back door of the precinct. He knew better than to try helping Connor walk, so he settled for simply walking alongside him, noticing how, gradually, the other man's steps had become more confident and firm.

They sat on the concrete stair at the back, both lighting a stick with Connor's lighter. The smoke made little puffs in the cold winter's air. 

"So, I heard you're gonna get an android too…" Nines pointed out, letting the ashes fall neatly over a used paper cup. Connor rolled his eyes, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes.

"What a nightmare! Stern insists that I need a partner. I told her I would rather go back to the hospital than be assigned a partner again. You want to know what her answer was?” He turned to look at him. 

Nines snickered, letting out a blow of smoke and nodding. 

“Oh! Don't worry, Lieutenant Anderson... I promise you, this new partner of yours won't ever resign." Connor imitated.

"You are kidding me…."

"I fucking wish!” Connor took another long drag of the cigarette before continuing. “HK series, you know what that series is built for?"

"No idea, don't like digital things… remember?" He pointed towards his watch. Connor nodded, putting out the smoke with his shoe before reaching into his jacket, unfolding a pamphlet.

"HK series: the perfect bodyguard, built to protect and defend at all costs," he read aloud. "Jesus fucking Christ! I hate androids," Connor laughed; but at the bottom of that laugh, there was anger ... and shame.

Richard knew this because he knew Connor like no one else. He'd seen his brother descend slowly but certainly into a pit that scared him. Connor was the bright one, the strong-willed one… he had barely gotten him back, hardly himself again. And Richard was, despite how much he tried to deny it, terrified of losing him for a second time.

His hand promptly reached for his brother's shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze that meant to be calming but ended up as a nervous reaction. Connor turned to look at Nines, and that foreboding shadow that lingered over his featured faded into a fond smile.   
Connor's slim hand came to rest over Nines's head, ruffling his hair. The younger detective pushed him away in annoyance. Connor always did that, and he hated it.

"I'm fine… I'm sure I'll make it explode by the end of the week."

"You have a lot of faith in your capacity to piss people off,” responded Nines, rearranging his hair back. “This is an android we are talking about.”

"Hmm, the last partner she assigned me asked for a transfer in two days ... how hard can it be to fry a computer?"

"And people say I'm the evil one…" Nines shook his head with a smile.

"It's my puppy eyes," Connor proclaimed before snickering, and Nines laughed too, he really and truly did.   
He felt more at ease with his brother than with anyone else. Then, why was he so afraid of letting him down?

"How about you? How's the Gagliano op going?" 

Richard swallowed hard.

"Not as good as I had predicted, but it's to be expected, since I left," Nines admitted.

Connor's demeanor changed. He looked at his shoes, kicking a tiny pebble down the stairs. Both his shoes looked the same, even at that distance.

"Sorry about-"

"Don't apologize,” Nines interrupted “It's okay… I left on my own accord, and this is nothing I can't fix. Just a minor setback from the original plan," he lied skillfully, even convincing himself that he wasn't swimming in a neck-high pool of shit with a deviant android. Connor smiled.

"I'm glad then… you know I will help you with anything if you need me, right?"

"Yes, of course…."

"You sound so android-like when you say that!” Connor laughed, and stood up with a swift motion, putting less and less weight on the cane “Hey, I'll like to meet this spy-android with this-... how is it called?"

"Adaptation software." 

"That sounds interesting!" Connor exclaimed, curious. 

They made their way back to the precinct. The small sense of peace the smoke-break had given Nines had quickly disappeared.

"Eventually… he is-… undercover right now," Richard lied, again.

" _He_ is?” Connor laughed again. “Jesus, I've never heard you referred to an android as nothing more than an _it_ , a _Roomba_ or a cell phone with aspirations; this must be a really impressive android to make you change that. Now I really want to meet him!"

"Shouldn't you be working, Lieutenant?" Nines retorted, embarrassment dyeing his cheeks with a little pink. Connor laughed once more, winked at him, and walked back to his desk at the opposite side of the bullpen. 

Nines's phone vibrated in his back pocket. 

**_Officer North:_ **   
_Say_   
_Can we use ur place?_   
_11:44 **√√**_

**_Det. Dick:_ **   
_No._   
_11:44 **√√**_

**_Officer North:_ **   
_you pretend to repair Robocop in Stern's office then?_   
_get ur shit together, 9!_   
_we’re running out of options_   
_11:45 **√√**_

**_Det. Dick:_ **   
_[Location Sent]_   
_11:45 **√√**_

\-----------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 5th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
 _PM **05:20** :24_

"Collins, who in the world is this man?" Nines's eyes switched between glaring daggers into North, to the man seated at the table in front of the android.

The man had a tablet on his lap. A laptop and a variety of other gadgets lay all around the table and the floor, cluttering his usually tidy living room. Nines didn't know, nor he cared what they were, just the fact that his android, his ONLY android, was wired to the man's computer, cables dangling from his neck like a colorful scarf.  
Gavin's eyes were fixed to the ceiling, out of focus, like in some kind of trance. His lips moved silently, uttering words in an incompressible extinct language.

He could see a tiny puddle of blue liquid staining the wooden cover just below the android’s neck.

  
Richard was furious. It had been a pain in the ass to get the android there, barely managing to get them out of the precinct and into his car in time before Stern called him. He had given North his keys, threatening if he so much found a single scratch on his car, he would personally murder her.

He quickly made his way into Stern's office as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't just smuggled a deviant android out of the precinct and into his apartment. He paid no attention to Stern's debriefing, just answering politely to her question about him and his brother's health.  
He clocked out of work earlier- for the first time in his life- and made the way home in record time.

North, who already had a headache, sighed heavily and made one last effort no to punch her boss in the nose.

"Look, you asked me to get him fixed without informing CyberLife; this is the best I could do, in such a short time, with literally no connections!” She pointed at the blond-haired man with a green hood over his head who silently worked on both the tablet and laptop, slurping a large soda like an overgrown child.

"Yes, I asked you to fix him… But this?! Does he even know what he's doing?"

"Yes, he does! He used to work at CyberLife, mind you... Look, you just got here, but he's been working on Gavin since lunch! And with good results!" North consciously omitted the part where he had taken Gavin's arm right off. She had almost fainted at the sight of that amount of blue blood splashing to the ground.

Nines regretted many things in his life, but now the only one in his mind was letting them into his house. He was a very reserved person, he never had any guests other than Connor, and the only time his mother had come to visit him (a one-time mistake).

He was going to continue his discussion with North but got distracted by a groan that came from the android's lips, mixed with a wave of static that reminded Richard of how a Bluetooth speaker would malfunction when a phone was nearby.  
They both turned to Gavin, who, with a horrible electric jolt, twisted once on the table as if he were having a seizure, falling back on it with a dull thud, motionless.  
Less than a minute later, his synthetic skin disappeared completely, causing both cops to back up in terror. Richard swallowed hard; he'd never seen an android without its… skin.

"Hm…guess it was the other way around," the silent man spoke for the first time, shrugging and typing something into his computer before Gavin's skin returned.   
A wave of ease flowed over the police officers. That had been pure nightmare fuel.

"Where did you get this quack?! Craigslist?" Nines had had enough; he was going to disconnect Gavin from all of this before he lost his mind and his android.

"This 'quack' is a friend of an ex-girlfriend, okay? He knows what he's doing!" North fought back.

"He's a quack!"

"You know, the quack has a name… and it's Ralph," the man spoke again, turning around in his chair to look at the cops.

"I don't care if you're Chloe fucking Kamski. I want to know what exactly you're doing with my android!" Richard protested.

The man named Ralph, or Chloe Kamski, left his drink over the table and rolled back on his chair, tablet still in hand.

"Your droid has a few components damaged. Nothing serious, but some of them can't be fixed without CyberLife equipment.” He pointed towards Gavin's face injury. “Sadly, Ralph doesn’t have that kind of material."

Nines stared at the man dumbfounded. _Did he just refer to himself in the third person?_

"Fortunately, Ralph managed to change the settings of the android's synthetic skin to hide the wound on his face and knuckles ... it's a masking protocol!" He smiled proudly, pointing towards the table.  
Both North and Nines approached it curiously.

Effectively, Gavin's skin now covered his damaged nose, a darker tone over it made it look like a human wound and hid the blue hue. It looked surprisingly realistic.

"Good job, Ralph!" North exclaimed, slapping the boy's back, almost knocking him out of the chair.

"Ralph also fixed his left arm; it will be operative now." The boy stood up and quickly disconnected the cables from the android's neck, a few strands of blue blood staining his fingers. “But Ralph cannot fix the deviancy… sorry,” He added, looking at North with a tiny pout.   
_How old was this kid?_

"It's okay, Ralph, you did your best," North praised, and the boy seemed to light up.

"How did you know he was deviant?" Nine asked cautiously. Ralph turned to look at him out of the corner of his eye and casually replied.

"Would you have asked for Ralph's help if not? It's easier to call CyberLife,” he responded, packing up his things in a backpack, but stopped midway. “He asked for his memory to not be tampered with… only deviants would like to remember dying," he added, with a darker tone.

Nines looked back at North, and she confirmed it.

"It was the only way Gavin would go along with this," she informed. 

Richard sighed. It was his own order; to transfer memories in between units to ensure continuity among each one of them. He never thought about it in any other way. Ralph's eyes peered at him from under his hood for just a second, a strange gleam in his right one. Nine felt silently judged and decided that he did not like the boy, not one bit.

"Thanks again, Ralph,” North unknowingly interrupted the staring contest. “Will you say hi to Ripple for me?" she mumbled with a nervous blush on her cheeks.

"Ralph will try,” he reassured her, before turning to look at the detective again. “Gavin is in stasis now, a sleep-like state. He will wake up in a few minutes."

"How much is it?" Nines asked, resting his head tiredly on his hands after a moment.

"Nothing! North is a friend of Ralph; I'm happy to help." The boy smiled. “Oh, one more thing, detective… Deviants act differently than other androids; Ralph is not sure how this could affect his protocols. If you need me again, call.”

"I'll call you a cab." North smiled back.   
She accompanied the boy out, and for the first time, the detective found himself alone with the android.

Richard walked slowly towards the table. 

The android lay still, with eyes closed and his body lax. He did look asleep, but of course, he wasn’t. After all, androids didn't sleep. What had Ralph called it? Stasis? It seemed like an overelaborate term to say on stand-by.

It was his inquisitive nature, Nines concluded, that lead him to take a closer look at the android; like the time he and Connor had pulled apart their dad's old Ford just to see what was inside.

The android was something new and strange; he had never owned one, nor had his family, so his interaction with them had been somewhat limited until he started working for the police. And even now, he often avoided them as much as he avoided other people.

The synthetic skin, now fixed, covered the LED completely. Gavin would pass as a human being, if not for the lack of breathing; his torso did not move, his body didn't twitch like a human would, even in heavy sleep. He just… lay there, like a mannequin.

That masking protocol idea was good, Richard had to recognize that. The scar looked genuine, and even the android's knuckles looked bruised. How did that work? Was it diffraction of light? Physical projection? He had no idea.

Even the android's hair looked real; he just saw the machine without its skin, and it certainly had no hair. So, how did it look so realistic? Would it-… feel real?

His hand lifted from his side, without him noticing it, and moved slowly towards GV200's head. The soft brown strands falling haphazardly over his face, thick brows, long lashes; If touched, will they dissolve like a hologram? He needed to know. 

His hand came to rest over the android's head. The first thing he felt was-… warmth. Why? Why was he warm? Electronic components worked faster and more efficiently at lower temperatures, right?  
His fingers gently touched the strands of hair, tangling them between his fingertips. It felt like silk, not entirely like human hair, too thin, too soft to the touch.

Then, Nines realized two things about androids.   
First: stasis -unlike human sleep- could be terminated in mere milliseconds and did not go through a grogginess stage, just utter and complete awareness.   
Second: Although the GV200 model was built to be light, it was strong enough to almost break his left wrist in one swift motion.

"Shit! Let go!" Richard shouted, falling to the ground, forcing his body to scoot closer to his hand to ease the pain in his bent wrist.

"What the fuck were you doing!?" Gavin shouted back. "Where am I? What did you do to me!?"

"Reed, calm down-… let me-…go!" He mouthed with difficulty. Just a little more pressure, and his wrist would snap.

The android's eyes looked -really looked- at the man beneath him and quickly let go of his hand. Nines fell to the ground, his other hand grabbing his injured wrist.

"Shit, detective... You okay?” Gavin moved to the edge of the table, looking down at the human with honestly worried eyes. “I- I just freaked out. Someone was messing with my code! It was a knee-jerk reaction!" He tried to justify with apprehension in his voice.

He jumped down from the table and held Nines’ hand with far more delicacy than before. He ran a quick scan.

"It's not broken, just… bruised," he informed. 

"I know; it’s okay, GV," the human responded softly, something in his voice more reassuring than all the scans he could perform.

Gavin let go of his hand and faced the detective in front of him. His LED was visible again and swirling yellow, scar glowing blue. He took some distance and looked around the room.

"Why am I here?" His hands went straight to the back of his neck, and his fingers returned smeared in blue.

"We had to repair you. We couldn't do it at the precinct without raising suspicion so… we are at my house," Nines stood up, his apprehensive eyes fixed on the android. Did Ralph's masking protocol fail? He could see all the dents and scratches again, and even the LED.

Gavin appeared to calm down a little at the explanation, his stress level gradually descending, and his LED setting back to blue.

_Get your deviant-self back together, Gavin,_ he said to himself.  
Now that his stress levels were even, he could access his memories with ease. Right, he had arrived here with the female officer and another man.

_COLLINS, NORTH. Born 12/03/2012// Police officer, badge n°0831// Criminal record: Juvenile, SEALED._

The other man, younger, he said he would fix him. He trusted this human; he seemed to understand Gavin and treated him with kindness, asking before connecting him into his computer.

_COHEN, RALPH. Born 10/19/2015 // unemployed. Previous occupation: CyberLife engineer// criminal record: breaking and entering, theft._

This man- Ralph- he did something with his coding. 

He ran a short analysis and found what was bothering him so much; a new line of code, simple, but effective. It detected damage to his components, sending a signal to the API of his synthetic skin.   
He looked down at his right hand, watching the synthetic skin turn from #C17868 to #896B74.

"It… fixed itself." The detective’s voice suddenly reminded Gavin he was not alone.

"What are you mumbling about, meat sack?" he looked around, finding his jacket over a chair. He put it on, despite the tear on the left shoulder.

"The masking protocol… just now, it wasn't working on you," the detective pointed out, curiosity making him frown. Gavin touched his nose, feeling the dent beneath the skin.

"Masking protocol; is that what it's called?"

"That's what Ralph – the guy who fixed you- call it. Apparently, it won't work if your stress levels are too high… interesting."

"Fuck off, you know shit about me." The android barked back.

_KENT, RICHARD "Nines" NORMAN. Born 04/24/2006 // Detective for de Detroit Police Department, badged N° 1787// Criminal records DATA EXPUNGED// Family: parents: Anderson, Cole (deceased 2011); Kent, Kathleen (alive); Brother: Anderson, Connor James (alive)_

_… and I know shit about you._


	2. Masking protocol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Richard try to understand one another.. it doesn't work out well.

North waved goodbye to Ralph. She exhaled long and hard, walking back towards Nines's building.   
If North Collins could've gone her whole life without ever knowing her superior's home address, she would've been just fine. But that wasn't written in her destiny. No, life was a fucking comedian, and she was tuned to Comedy Central 24/7.

Guess she deserved it; she HAD fucked up. Too risky, too rushed… _< <[...] Doesn't follow orders and takes unnecessary risks, endangering her life and that of others. >>_ That was written in her report, the main reason why she had been demoted to official the previous year.  
Maybe that was why she liked the android that much; he was kind of like her.

  
When she opened the door to the apartment, she was welcomed with an oppression she hadn't felt since she was twelve, and her parents were divorcing.

"Hm ... is everything alright?" she asked, her gaze traveling between the two men.

Nines was behind the kitchen counter, an ice pack pressed against his left wrist. Gavin was at the opposite side of the flat, perched in the windowsill, with a nasty scowl. They were as far from each other as the apartment allowed.

"Of course," replied the detective, turning to the female officer. "I suppose you dispatched Mr. Cohen."

"Mr. Cohen?... Jesus, Nines; are you sure you're not an android yourself?” The woman rolled her eyes and sat tiredly on one of the kitchen stoops. "What happened to your hand? Were you two fighting?"

"No"

"Yes"

Both replied, and North just buried her face into her hands, muffling a groan. Richard was about to say something else when the android stood up.

"I just received news from one of my friends."

"You don't have friends…"

"Neither do you, dickhead… by friends I mean the Gagliano's men I've been dealing with and, specifically, with those who I was hanging out today,” he clarified. Both officers looked at him. “Ed, that's the one with the tattooed face, kicked the bucket… well, he was an ass."

"Fuck, " escaped Nines’ mouth. A dead suspect was never a good thing; the DA was going to give him hell for that.

"Good news is he was the one who blew my cover.”

"That's good then! Was it you who shot him?" North exclaimed a little too happy for someone talking about a dead man, even if it was a red ice dealer.

"Nah, I was too busy getting my nose shoved into my processor,” Gavin explained, pointing vaguely at his face. “It was the other guy, Nico Fernández of the Cruzada Crew. We were supposed to collect two grams of ice from him this morning, before all went to hell.”

“Elaborate.” Richard pressed. Gavin looked at him with an annoyed expression but relented.

“Ed punches my nose in, Nico shots Ed and then me; I whack Nico in the head with a 2x4… and then you useless pieces of meat arrived," he stated in a not-very-police way.

"Something's missing… there were three suspects." Nines's serious eyes fell on North and Gavin. The android shrugged.

"Yeah; his name's Mike, he was with Ed and I... but the son of a bitch ran away in the first ten seconds. What a fucking pussy."

"Do you have status on what happened to this Nico guy?" North had pulled out a tiny notepad, scribbling away what Gavin was reporting.

"Don't write this down, North! Jesus!” He looked at her like he was explaining to a fifth-grader why she shouldn't be looking directly at the sun. “I am literally typing this into a report while talking to you."

"You're so sweet, Gav," the officer cooed, making the android blink repeatedly, taken aback. Richard rolled his eyes.

"Reed… continue."

"Yeah, whatever… Fernández is at the hospital, stable, but I gave him a concussion, so he's still passed out."

"And this so-called Mike?" Nines asked. Gavin's eyes stayed fixed for a moment, blinking, as he quickly processed the information he was gathering.

"Back at Gagliano's hideout. The texts they’ve sent indicate that he has no information regarding Ed, Nico, or me. He believes I have been taken into police custody, and I quote.” Gavin cleared his throat, and his voice changed to a higher-pitched one, definitely not his. _“ <The fucking pigs got him, man! … and I don't know where Ed is. He was the one with the ice! Please, Coffey, you gotta believe me!>_ end quote."

"That was scary… do it again, do my voice. Wait, no! Do Nines's voice!" North jumped expectantly. Richard interrupted before Gavin could even entertain the idea.

"This is the first good news we've had today; your cover is intact after all. We can interrogate Nico Fernández when he regains consciousness. And now that you are repaired, we can resume this operation without problems." A tiny, almost imperceptible smile appeared on the cold features of Richard's face.

"You mean, now?" North looked at him in disbelief.

"No... tomorrow,” the detective stated. “It's been a long day. We will inform the rest of the team tomorrow and plan Reed's return. For now, go home... get some sleep, North."

The woman nodded, relief washing over her at the sound of those words. She stood up and grabbed her jacket, ready to bolt out of there.

"One more thing, North."

"Yessir?"

"What do you-... do with him?" Richard said, his eyes tracing the android's movements. He'd returned to the windowsill, grabbing one of Nines's books and flicking through it.

"Oh! Hmm, I have no idea. We usually drop them off at the station to charge, I guess." She twisted a lock of hair for a moment before calling out. “Yo! Gavin! Wanna come to the precinct with me?"

"I'll stay here with Det. Dickchard," said the android, without looking up from the book.

"Excuse me?" Richard's voice came out more insulted than he intended.

"It's stupid for me to be walking around in or out of the precinct…I'm supposedly under arrest, what if one of Gagliano's men sees me? Oh yes! Do you know Gavin? The new guy? I saw him at the DPD... yeah! He was charging with the other androids, like we all humans do," he scoffed, looking at the two humans as if they were stupid, which they were.

"Guess you're trapped, boss…" North patted him on the shoulder as she turned to leave. Richard ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. 

To his discontent, the android was right.

\-----------------------------------------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 5th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
 _PM **07:20** :39_

He could not relax, not like this. 

The android had rummaged through his apartment like an F4 tornado. Opening and closing drawers, pulling each book off its shelves, inspecting everything from the fridge and kitchen cabinets to the pigeons on the fire escape. 

He'd already read the books Richard had on his bookshelf, stacking them next to his spot on the windowsill, and now he was about to ransack the living room.

"Could you stay still for a moment?" The man snapped, his patience getting thinner by the second.

"Make me," Gavin replied. 

This nonsensical talkback was driving him mad. GV200 was supposed to be a machine, efficient and fast, not a brat with an attitude.

Richard took off his glasses, massaging his eyes, tired of the artificial light from his laptop.   
Gavin had sent him the full report of this morning's fiasco a few minutes after North had left, ready to be forwarded. But he will be damned if he was going to sign and deliver it to Stern without properly reading it beforehand.   
He was glad he had since every seventeen words the android had typed some obscenity just to annoy him.

_[…] suspect identified as FERNÁNDEZ, NICOLAS (093-776041) extracted a concealed weapon identified as a Glock 45 dick, 9 mm, semiautomatic (evidence No.423-7) and proceeded to fire two shots at the victim identified as cocksucker EVANS, EDGARD (security number 078-051123) resulting in two fatal injuries. The suspect then fired a third ass shot aimed at undercover android GV200 #722 107 202 – 27 resulting in […]_

_What was it with this fucking android?!_ He groaned, exasperated.

"Hey, how can you afford this kind of place with a cop's salary?" Gavin suddenly asked, lost in the city lights that the wide windows showed them, miraculously unobstructed by any building.

"It's pretty cheap ... Not many people were willing to move here after learning it had been a crime scene a couple years ago."

"And you don't believe in ghosts, spirits, or grudges," Gavin rolled his eyes, resuming his examination of the room.

"Of course not," he replied without even glancing up.

  
Richard's place was a remodeled loft on the thirteenth floor. He liked the open space and the amount of light the windows provided, and as since he lived alone, he didn’t mind only having one room. The kitchen was big, the neighbors were quiet, and it even had a tiny balcony.

It was the only place where Richard felt at ease. Or at least until twelve hours ago.

"Hey, you don't even own a micro-component?... what do you do all day?” Gavin asked, looking through a stack of vinyl records Nines kept under the bookshelf. “Jesus! For a millennial, you have the department of a baby boomer."

"I … dislike digital things. I feel more comfortable with analog technology that I can see and fix with my hands and not with code," Nines replied, once again working on his laptop.

"Sure thing, old man… yet you're using a computer right now."

"The fact that I dislike modern technology doesn't mean I won't relent if I considered it beneficial. I put efficiency over anything else," Richard explained, eyes fixed in the screen, erasing yet again another synonym for the male genitalia from the report.

"It is argued that continued scientific and technical progress will inevitably result in the extinction of individual liberty…" Gavin said matter-of-factly. This managed to make Richard turn to the android with a disgusted look on his face.

"Are you really comparing me with the Unabomber's manifesto?" 

"You recognized it? Not so stupid, human," Gavin praised, laughing, happy that he managed to annoy the human enough to get a real reaction from him.

"I'm a detective, android," he said, remarking the last word with a bit of spite.

"Yeah, android...” Gavin walked back to the windowsill. “So! Do you hate us? Androids, I mean."

Richard took a moment to reply.

"I don't necessarily hate androids; I just don't particularly like them." 

_Especially you,_ but that went without saying.

The android snorted and stared back through the window, watching the rain began to fall. Richard kept his eyes on the other, watching the way his torso simulated breathing, how he blinked despite not needing it. Even his face made little quivers and gestures, perfectly animated.   
With his LED hidden, Gavin was just an ordinary guy.

  
Did he hate androids? He could not deny the impact they had had on society so far. Mass production of androids had increased productivity in a city that, at the beginning of the 21st century, was on the verge of economic downfall.

It was somehow poetic that the so-called second industrial revolution had begun in the city known to be the home of Henry Ford, father of the assembly line and mass production. Factories that chose to switch to android workers had exponentially increased their productivity, boosting the economy and development of the city, effectible saving Detroit from destruction. The use of androids in tasks deemed too dangerous for humans had positively impacted the number of casualties derived from accidents; human error could decrease if machines were allowed to run things.   
A brighter and safer future ... _designed by CyberLife, built in Detroit._

But at the same time, unemployment was higher than ever.   
People hated androids as they had once hated immigrants, continually blaming them for the loss of their jobs. Who would hire a human- who needed lunch breaks, vacation, sick days, and maternity leave- when you could hire a machine that could do its job faster and better? Richard could understand the commercial implication.

Some might argue in their favor, and even say that they were the next step towards evolution; the moment when higher consciousness took on a different substrate, changing meat and bones to plastic and metal. A vehicle for the mind that does not age, does not get sick, nor would it die.

Maybe that was what Richard dislike about them; they were far superior to humans, rendering him obsolete before he had a chance to prove himself valuable.

"You should eat something." Gavin's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"Eat, you know? This thing you humans do, where you fill your mouths with nutritious things?"

Nines didn't reply to that; he was not going to play along with this android's teasing.

"I'll eat later…"

"You haven't eaten since this morning, detective. You're tired, and your stress levels are high... you should also take a painkiller for your hand."

Nines raised his head and glanced at the android in disbelief. Gavin's head was slightly tilted to the side, looking at him with attention.

"Will you cook then?" he asked, closing the laptop and staring back at him with the same interested look.

"What? Fuck you! I'm no domestic model, make your own food!" the android flipped him off, turning his head back to the window. 

"And for a moment I thought you were starting to behave…" Nines laughed, and the android looked at him as if the sound was something heretic.

"Did you just... laugh?"

"Yes, Gavin... I am, as you so diligently said, a human. I do laugh from time to time."

The android got up and, with calculated steps, approached the man sitting on the sofa. Richard looked up, his arms still resting on his lap, tensing just a little at the proximity of the other.  
Standing in front of him, the android stared- No- he _scanned_ him. Nines gazed at him as well, swallowing slightly when the other raised a hand and carefully put his index finger against the right side of his forehead.

"What… are you doing?" Richard's voice came out dry, nervousness barely noticeable.   
But the android noticed; how his heart rate peaked, how the capillaries in his face dilated, feeling warm under the tip of his finger. Human skin was so disgusting.

"Relax, I'm just checking if you had a LED hidden here," he mocked, pulling away from the human, returning to his place by the window.

"What do I have to do to prove you I'm a human?" Nines sighed heavily, standing up and walking directly to the kitchen.

"Maybe you could start acting like one!"

"Damn tin can,” He mumbled. It was a rhetorical question, had nothing to prove to him.

He opened the top left drawer and took out a Tylenol bottle, taking two pills with a glass of water. His right wrist was still throbbing painfully, and he was hungry after all.

  
Gavin snorted. It wasn't that he particularly disliked Nines, he hardly knew the guy, but he had a natural resentment against him. He was the one (at least in Gavin's eyes) guilty for the destruction carried upon his predecessors. And somehow, the human's serious and composed demeanor bothered him. So, yeah! He was looking for ways to annoy him as much as he could.

Gavin had cataloged and analyzed everything he'd found in the apartment (except the bedroom which Richard had stated was off-limits), and it was painfully obvious. It didn't take a machine's precision to draw out a conclusion- or, more accurately- a diagnosis on Richard: Books neatly arranged, immaculate surfaces, the little yet obnoxious trends that plagued every movement of the detective. A pattern, clear and simple, that was at the same time… a compulsion.

"Why do people call you Nines? It has nothing to do with Richard as far as I know," Gavin asked, looking at the man sitting at the kitchen counter. The spoon halted halfway in between his mouth and the yogurt in his hand.

Half the container, four spoons so far. _Jackpot_.

"It's a nickname," he replied, resuming his eating. _Five spoons._

"I know what a nickname is; I hang around with gang members! They nickname everything," Gavin exclaimed, approaching the counter and sitting across from the other man.

_Seven spoons._  
There was little to no yogurt left in the container; he'd distracted him enough.

"Why are you called Nines?" he repeated, his eyes focus on the other man. Richard scraped the container with the spoon, picking up tiny bits on every corner.

"It's just a nickname; nothing more," he stated, bringing the spoon to his mouth. _Eight spoons._

"That's empty; let me get that for you." With a quick motion, the android grabbed the container from the other man's hands and walked towards the trash can.

"Wait…"

Heart rate rising, shallow breathing, pupils dilatating.   
Gavin smiled, a little cruelly, and turned around. And he was so ... pleased with himself right now!  
He was right, of course he was. The detective in front of him looked positively distressed- His jaw clenched, his hands squeezed tight.

"What is it, Detective? You look rather pale… are you feeling unwell?" he said, concern flawlessly simulated in his voice.

"Give me back the container, please," his voice was languid, soft.

"But… it's empty; there's nothing left! If you're still hungry... maybe you should eat something else, Detective Nines," he dragged the last word, smiling, incapable of keeping up with the teasing.

Richard's eyes looked directly at him in a mixture of hate and hurt. For a small moment, Gavin felt something he couldn't fully describe ... but that something had erased any sense of accomplishment he had previously experienced. He chuckled and relented, reaching out and returning the container to the man.

Quickly, Richard scooped up an imaginary rest of yogurt and brought the spoon into his mouth. He shoulder-checked Gavin before walking past him and tossing the container into the garbage.

_Nine spoons._

"OCD, eh?" Richard didn't answer, keeping quiet. "Nine times, Nine of everything... Is that your compulsion? That's a very cruel nickname, you know?" Gavin continued.

"Are you satisfied?" Richard's voice lacked any emotion. No fear, no anger. Nothing.   
Gavin stopped dead on his track and looked as the man turned around slowly.

_Oh shit._

He fucked up, pried too much into the human's head, and had made him snapped.   
He understood now why so many of his predecessors had met untimely ends; they had no self-preservation instinct, not with this talk-back software. Who was the idiot that had come up with such a stupid combination? Let's make an android that teases people until they want to tear it apart!... somebody give this man a fucking medal.

He backed away, his HUD full of warnings and pop-ups. Richard took a step closer to him, as the android took one back. Their relationship status went from neutral to _HOSTILE._

"Are you satisfied with your actions, GV?" the voice continued, blue eyes cold and menacing.

"Ni-Nines, I-…." he tried to say. 

How did the tables turn! Now it was his stress level that had skyrocketed. Why was he afraid? Kent was nothing but a mere human; he couldn't hurt him, could he? He had no weapon. Besides, Gavin had been more than able to contain him before. So, why? ... why was I scared of him?  
He felt his skin give away, LED flashing yellow on his temple.

Richard's hands grabbed the front of his torn shirt and shoved him easily against the wall, the impact hard against his body. Of course, he felt no pain, but his sensors detected the hostility.

"Don't ever call me that again." Cold voice, cold eyes. Why wasn't he fighting back?

"Hey, calm down," Gavin chirped, but Richard pushed him harder against the drywall, lifting him from the floor and slamming the android's head against it.

"You're nothing but a machine, a tool," he growled, eyes furious.

"I-I…” Gavin mumbled, his voice breaking with static. “…put me down!" he squirmed, unable to touch the floor.

The LED's red light surprised Nines for a second, looking at himself in the reflection of the polished fridge's surface; he looked menacing.   
_What am I doing?_

Gavin pushed him away, and he let go easily, dropping him ungracefully to the floor. Richard stepped back, leaning on the kitchen counter, trying to regain his composure; his chest heaved, his heart pounding with leftover adrenaline.

Gavin stood up quickly, averting his eyes from him.

"I- ... shouldn't have pushed you like that, GV200. I apologize," said Nines, his voice polite but visibly troubled.

Gavin looked at him like he was out of his mind, a look that had become quite common in the last few hours.

"Uh, it's okay… I was the one who teased you." He shrugged.

"I don't usually… lose my composure like that."

"Hey, chill; I'm an android… no one is gonna give you shit if you wanna rough me up," said Gavin, rolling his eyes. Holy fuck, how uptight could this human be? Apologizing for something like this.

"You think it's okay for me to beat you?" Richard asked sincerely disconcerted, furrowing his brows.

"You know I can't feel a thing, right? … For Chrissake! Twelve hours ago, you were more than okay with sending me back to CyberLife to be dismantled!"

"but… you're a deviant, don't you? You have self-awareness!"

"All androids have self-awareness, asshole!” He replied as if it was obvious. “The difference between a deviant and a machine is-" he stopped; LED circling yellow once, twice.

"What?... What is the difference?" Nines insisted, looking for the android's gaze.

"I-…” He stopped startled, turning towards the human with his brows furrowed, his LED even turning red for a moment. “… I have no idea."

  
\----------------------------------------

  
Richard lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to find that long-awaited dream.  
He was painfully aware of the injury to his now bandaged wrist, painfully aware of the android outside of his bedroom, the one that had caused it. _A machine-_ A machine that didn't need sleep, nor food, nor warm. And was just mere steps from him.

Yet, he had apologized to him. Why? He certainly deserved to be punched in the face for what he'd done; Nines was still upset about that. Not only because he'd figured him out without breaking a sweat, but because he'd played him, his flaws and weakness; made fun of him... He hated the android for that.

But still, the fear in the machine eyes and the way the LED flashed frantically red was more sincere than anything else the android could've said. It had punched some sense into him, quite literally. It felt wrong to hurt the android, even if he could not feel it as he claimed.   
Also, it made him uneasy how easily Gavin talked about it. Richard couldn't understand… he claimed he didn't mind getting hurt, but struggled with all his might to continue to exist.

_A contradiction..._   
A constant fight between his coding and his deviant tendencies, maybe that what being a deviant meant.

He scrambled out of bed, walking towards the bathroom, but stopped to peer through the barely-open door of his room.  
Gavin was still sitting on the windowsill. He could see the reflection of the blue LED against the water-stained glass. His eyes were closed; He seemed asleep.

Nines grabbed the handle and closed the door, passing the lock only for his own peace of mind. It wouldn't do shit if the android really wanted to get in, but still.

He entered the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Slowly, his hand came to rest at the right side of his temple, pressing against his skin... _Nothing._  
He let go of a choked laugh. What was he doing? Of course, he was a human.

He pulled open the mirror cabinet and grabbed the bottle of Ambien. Taking one pill, he returned to his bed. Exhausted and in pain, the detective finally fell asleep, restless and full of nightmares.

\--------------------------------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 6th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
 _AM **08:22:** 19_

"Well, you look like shit…"

"Good morning to you too, North," replied Richard, walking into the precinct. Not only did he look like shit, he felt like it too.

"Guess the sleepover wasn't much fun, huh?” she mocked, nudging him just little in a playful way. Nines glared daggers into her. 

_If looks could kill_ , she thought, recoiling.

Richard recalled the silent drive to the precinct. He was tired as fuck; He didn't even grab anything for breakfast, just walked straight to the car, closely followed by the android.   
Gavin tried talking to him, but he cut him off.

"Get in the car, GV200," he ordered the android, who glared at him furiously. It looked like if Gavin was going to say something, but instead, he closed his mouth and did as he was told with a quiet _yes, Detective Kent._

  
"By the way, where's our favorite toaster?" North asked.

Nines snapped awake, unaware he'd been dozing off. He could've fallen asleep right there and then.

"Went in through the emergency exit; may already be at the meeting room." He yawned, covering his mouth. He wanted a cigarette more than ever; A cup of coffee would be just as good.

_…or a lobotomy._

"Jesus, Nines… you really look like a ghost. Have you eaten anything?" the woman asked, rummaging through her backpack and handing him a protein bar. Richard cringed a little at the nickname but took the bar, biting a big chunk out of it.

"Do me a favor, North… stick to calling me-" he paused, looking behind North’s back.

Stern was lingering outside her office, pacing and gazing at her domains; This generated a Pavlovian reaction from all the officers in the bullpen, something akin to a collective whimper.

"Kent! My office, now," Stern's voice roared through the bullpen, making a couple of heads turn or duck. Stern never called Kent like that.

"… is everything alright?” Both North and Richard turned around. “What happened to your hand!?"

"Good morning, Lieutenant Anderson," North chimed, smiling at the nicest version of her boss. Connor looked at his brother worriedly; On the other hand, the female officer hadn't even notice Nines’ injury.

"Richard, now!" Stern demanded, turning around and returning to her office.

"Why is Amanda calling you?" Connor questioned.

"I'm-… I'm not sure," Nines replied, sharing a concerned look with his brother. Richard's hand grabbed his pencil and, walking towards the office, started rolling it in between his fingers. The protein bar was left forgotten and half-eaten over his desk.

  
When he opened the door, the woman behind the desk gave him an unconcern look. Captain Amanda Stern was cold and demanding, keeping the precinct running like a well-calibrated machine, not for nothing people called her the DPD's witch.

"Did you call me, Captain Stern?"

"Come on in, Richard," he walked past the door frame only to find himself with another figure inside the office.

A man, probably in his early fifties; Tall, maybe 6- 6.2 ft, with long grey hair tight neatly in a ponytail, beard well-trimmed. His composure was rigid, cautious, looking at Richard with serious, methodical eyes.   
The LED on his temple shone a calm blue, as did the band on his left arm.   
_An android._

"Sit down, Richard… this is HK800. HK, this is Detective Richard Kent."

"Good morning, Detective Kent," the android replied, his voice low and calm though a little raspy. Of course, the HK series! This was the android assigned to his brother. 

Richard took a moment to analyze the machine in front of him. Yes, Connor will absolutely despise him.

"Good morning…" Richard replied politely.

"HK800 is the android that will work with your brother from now on. I was hoping that you could make the transition a little bit... easier, since last night didn't go so smoothly," Amanda asked, no-… it wasn't a request; it was an order.

"Yes ma'am," replied Richard. "I'll see what I can do ..."

"Good," Amanda turned to look at the android. "HK, could you wait outside for a moment? I'll talk to you and Lt. Anderson as soon as I'm done with Detective Kent."

"Yes, of course," replied the android, departing the office in long strides. _< Yes, Of course.>_, well … maybe Nines did talk like an android from time to time.

Once the door was closed, Nines turned around to look at the woman behind the desk. He swallowed hard. Her eyes were fixed on him, like a predator.

"You think I'm stupid, Detective Kent?"

"No, ma'am."

"You think I don't know what's going on in my precinct, then?"

"Of course, no…." 

"So, you must think I'm incompetent as a captain, if you think I'd let this slide under the rug without calling you here." A heavy casefile struck the table, making Nines flinch imperceptibly.  
Really? Who used paper these days? It was just to make an impression on him.

The woman opened the file and flicked through the pages.

"Where should I begin? How about my favorite? Unit #722 107 202 – 24. I quote _< <While on pursue of two suspects, police squad car (plate N° TYFQ23) and police squad car (plate blah blah blah) … collided directly into unit #722 107 202 – 24, which was undercover, chasing a suspect, resulting in the complete destruction of said unit>>_ … isn't this lovely? Or should we read together how unit #25, disappeared on Canadian territory? Or maybe unit 26! And its short-lived career as bomb fuel!"

Stern slapped both hands on the table, knocking a stack of paper onto the floor. Nine didn't even blink.

"Ma'am, I assure you that this was completely my fault, I-…" Nines lowered his head, like a child being reprimanded.

"No, it wasn't," she interrupted. "You were at LOA ... but that's not why I called you here, Richard." She leaned forward; her hard, weary eyes fixed on the detective before her. She let out a long breath and sat down again.

“… I don't reprove your absence; I'm pissed because you refused to reassign this case to another senior detective; and instead, you tried to command everything from afar! THAT'S your fault." Another hard slap on the table. Richard was so glad that the glassed office was somehow soundproofed.

"Ma'am, I was the senior officer in charge; I was the one with the most knowledge about the case! I couldn't just pass this on to another officer I didn't trust," he fought back.   
She was right, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"And that's the problem, Richard! You trust no one… not even your own brother." Her hand pointed vaguely towards the bullpen.

"Look, I get it... the pride factor,” she paused and stood up, towering over Richard despite being rather short. He kept his gaze down, his ears flushing at the mention of his brother.

“I was happy when you got here. You are one of the best-damned detectives in this precinct. On your own, Richard… without having to compare yourself to Connor.” Her gaze softened, and something like a smile appeared on her lips. “But have a little more faith in your team… or I'll demote you to desk duty." 

"… Yes, ma'am," he replied through gritted teeth.

"You still have a GV200 left, don't you? ... Number-" He scrolled down her tablet. "Number 27."

"Yes! 27 is operative, and his cover is still intact; We will resume the operation today, and we expect results by the end of the week," he informed, his voice back to its pragmatic tone. He had a plan, a good one.

"Good... I want to get the Gagliano family; nail old Harry once and for all." Amanda massaged both sides of her forehead and sighed. "It goes without saying that if something happens to this unit, the blame will fall entirely on you ..."

"Of course, ma'am. It will not happen." 

"Tell me, is this unit really capable of infiltrating with humans? … HK there- he may be a very advanced machine, but my dishwasher is more human than he is," she asked, staring through the glass walls at the stoic figure standing next to the door, like a guard dog.

"GV200 is-… quite- … effective in his relationship with the objectives. He is… very human-like," Richard's voice was confident, but he felt his heart hammering inside his chest with each misleading statement.

"Yes, I noticed that he has a very- ... peculiar way of referring to you and your team,” said Amanda, her frameless glasses slowly sliding down her sharp nose. “He called you Detective Dickchard and his dumdum police band. That's quite a mouthful."

"You-… you spoke to him?" 

_Keep it together! She wouldn't be talking to you if she already knew that the plastic prick is a deviant; She doesn't know._  
His thoughts were so loud he could barely hear Amanda's answer.

"Oh, yes… we spoke earlier this morning. I wanted to know why he wasn't at his charging dock last night. He explained to me you two had got together to discuss a plan for the oncoming operation," she said without giving him a second look, picking up her tablet and reading through her mail. _Multitasking._

"Yes, we did," he lied; the android lied. 

A wave of relief washed over him. Stern knew about their previous failures, but she hadn't noticed the bigger issue- and that was that there was a deviant in the precinct.  
God... Gavin was truly a deviant.  
And Nines? He himself had fallen into something similar to deviancy: lying to his boss, covering for an android, keeping a deviant in his house!

"I'm glad you two are getting along; if this works out, I might consider assigning him as your partner permanently."

"I- I beg your pardon?" Richard croaked, his left eye giving a twitch.

"That's all, Kent…. You are dismissed."

"But…"

"Dismissed, Kent. And call your brother in here... I don't have all day to play Mother Goose with you two," she growled, waving her hand to shoo him away.

Nines stood up with his jaw clenched and hands tight. He made his way out of the office, sweating cold. 

Before he could grab the handle, the door opened to let him out. HK800 gave him a polite nod and let him pass; His stoic figure, at least two inches taller than him, cast an overprotective aura. 

"Have a nice day, Detective Kent." 

He looked at the android, who was still holding the door for him. Had he heard anything? He could guess as much; he just hoped he didn't tell Connor.

"You too, HK. Good luck with Lieutenant Anderson."

"Thank you, Detective... We met last night; I'm sure it was a positive experience."

"HK… be careful around Lieutenant Anderson. You don't want to get on his bad side," he advised. 

He felt a little sorry for the machine. There was bad blood between Connor and androids in general, at least from the Lieutenant, and Richard could partially side with that.

"My only objective is to aid and protect Lt. Anderson. I will make myself as helpful as possible without disturbing him," he assured with a small ambiguous smile.

_Poor bastard,_ Nines thought to himself, watching the android reentered the glass office.

He made a B line to his desk, bumping into his brother who was still talking to North.

"How did it go? Were you fired? Were you promoted?" North asked.

"Mother wants to talk to you now ..." Richard sighed, looking at his brother.

Connor looked… unwell. His hair was a mess, longer than usual, and hadn't shave in at least a week. Luckily for Connor, he didn't have much facial hair to begin with.  
Richard knew he had been drinking the night before, since he had not answered his usual call. He worried about him- constantly.

"Jesus, what did we do now?” Connor asked. Richard just shrugged, aware of what Amanda had in store for the lieutenant. “… it's like the peanut butter incident all over again," he muttered before walking to the glass cage, cane tapping over the tile floor.

"Peanut butter incident?" North repeated, her interest piqued.

"Long story,” Richard replied, exhausted. He looked at his watch: 9:00 AM, and he was already drained. “Let's go to the meeting… I want to get this going as soon as possible."

He lagged behind North for a moment, turning to his desk to pick up his tablet, finding a paper cup resting next to the terminal. It was perfectly warm and smell of bitter coffee.   
He took it, opening his mouth to thank North, but then he noticed; _< Detective Dickchard>_ was written on the side in neat calligraphy.

He frowned, _CyberLife sans._

The four police officers assigned to the operation, plus North, Gavin, and Nines, had gathered in the meeting room. The atmosphere inside it felt oppressive. Yesterday had been tough, and all the officers looked at their leader with a bit of apprehension, fearing another lecture.

Richard stood up, tablet in hand, his eyes trailing the people in the room, stopping at a figure in the back. Nines recognized the slim man as Ralph. What was he doing here?

"I spoke to Captain Stern earlier this morning. She is aware of the previous-... difficulties we have encountered in this operation," he addressed.

Gavin, seated next to North, rolled his eyes, mouthing a _cunt_ under his breath, making North chuckle.

She turned to him.

It was strange to find him wearing his android uniform.   
Black and white jacket with a gleaming blue stripe on his left arm, CyberLife triangle over his heart, and his denomination written on his chest in white letters: GV200. Everything in order with the mandatory identification badges for androids. The only thing that stood out like a sore thumb was the oversize shirt he wore under the jacket.

"What's with the shirt, Gav?" North asked in a whisper. 

Nines was giving a speech she already heard a million times. _Efficiency, no failure, determination, blah, blah blah_. However, he had apologized for his yesterday's outburst, which was very strange coming from him.

"Mine was all messed up… had to borrow one from Detective Asshole there," the android replied, tugging at the shirt in discontent. It was too big, but at least it wasn't a turtleneck one. North laughed.

"Cute… you're sharing clothes already? When's the wedding?"

"Ugh, you humans are disgusting," he talked back, turning up his nose in a grimace. The last thing he wanted was spending extra time around Detective _Dickchard_ Kent.

Richard had stopped his explanation, now looking straight at the android who stood up and walked to the front of the room. It was his turn to speak.

"Good morning, my name is GV200; I am the android sent by CyberLife to work with you in the undercover operation as my predecessor's replacement." he introduced, his voice and demeanor more mechanical than ever.

Nines, having taken the seat next to North, seemed surprised by the sudden change. He expected Gavin to act like the childish prick he'd known for the past 24 hours. But he was professional, well-… more android-like professional to be specific.

Gavin raised his hand, his skin peeling away to let the white alloy beneath shine. He pressed his hand into the terminal, and the screen showed three photos of the already know perps.

"These three men were involved in the incident from yesterday morning. I managed to take out Nicolas Fernández, who was the link that connected the Gagliano family to the trade of red ice across the Canadian border.” The imagen on the screen zoomed out, and more photos appeared; at the top was an older-looking man. “Unfortunately, we still have no solid evidence to charge Harry Gagliano, the head of the family and mayor dealer of red ice in the state of Michigan."

"Every time we bring him in it's for a misdemeanor. He pays bail and slips away,” North explained, chewing the tip of a pencil. “This fat guy is involved not only in red ice trafficking but also has ties to prostitution, android trade, witness tampering and murder."

"Yes, but the point is, he keeps his hands clean- not even a DUI or a parking ticket,” Gavin continued. “Now, I'm but a goon in this complex family tree. But I'm sure I can find solid evidence if I could get into his trust zone."

Nines stood up and walked towards the android, standing next to him.

"These are the new rules- We protect Gavin at all costs.” His voice was clear and diligent, all eyes on him. “Failure is not an option. We will be securing Gavin's movements in and out of the Gagliano's hideout; We must gather enough solid evidence to indict Harry Gagliano.” Richard's hand came to rest on Gavin's shoulder, firm and warm over the fabric of the jacket.

"Phillips, you go to H.F Hospital and keep an eye on Fernández. Jerry: go with North, she will inform you of today's plan… Mendez, Coleman: keep an eye on the streets. If you find this Mike Lerch, you pick him up and bring his ass over here. Everybody: stay on the look-out for this scumbag. We will issue an APB on him."

Richard assigned tasks to each one; his hand lingered over the android's shoulder. Gavin stood still. The longer Richard's hand stayed on his shoulder, the more a strange redundant code kept popping up on his network. He recognized it; it was a feeling.

He looked at the humans in the room and then to the man at his left: he was a part of them now; a colleague maybe. 

He belonged, and it felt nice.

"Your coffee tasted like shit,” Nines whispered next to him, giving him a little grin. “I don't take sugar…"

"Well, fuck you too! I told you I'm no domestic model, you ungrateful son of a bitch," Gavin barked, pulling away from Nines's hand.

The officers started leaving the room, going to their assigned tasks. Only he and Nines remained put.

"Thank you, Gavin… I'll take the coffee as a peace offering," he continued, still smirking at him.

"… Whatever, ape.” He scratched his stubble. “So, you are calling me Gavin again?" He asked with pretended indifference, even though his eyes were watching the detective closely. Richard snorted a chuckle.

"That is your name," he stated, nonchalantly too.

"… so, can I call you Nines again?"

"I'll think about it.” he turned, giving the android a sincere and somewhat playful smile. Gavin reciprocated with a smirk.

  
A figure approached them from the back of the room, standing out between the police officers.

“Ralph, what are you doing here?" Richard asked.

"Ralph wanted to see how Gavin was doing," the kid smiled, keeping his hoodie over his head.

He looked even more out of place surrounded by police officers, like a child who had lost its mommy and was asking a nice policeman for help. Certainly not a CyberLife engineer.   
Nines's eyes stopped to really look at the man in front of him.   
How could he have missed it the first time? The entire right side of Ralph's face was covered in scar tissue - Burn-marks, Richard concluded- and his right eye seemed to emit an electric glow.

"… is the masking protocol working okay?" Ralph asked at the android.

"Yeah, pretty good actually, but it glitches from time to time," Gavin replied, touching his nose in a very human way, as if to see if the scar was still there.

"It glitches when he gets emotional," Richard added, a tiny smug on his face. Gavin elbowed him, murmuring "Dick" under his breath.

"Hmmm, it's possible that your emotions make the API unable to respond to the masking protocol… deviancy must overrun some comma-" Ralph tried to explain, but Nines had quickly pushed him away from the crowd and into a corner. Gavin followed.

"Shit, Ralph; not so loud!” The android hissed, looking at the few officers still in the room. “You wanna get me caught?"

Ralph shook his head, mumbling a sorry.

“It’s okay, Ralph… it’s just that not all the officers in the team are aware of Gavin’s condition. We’re trying to keep it a secret, okay?” Nines tried to explain, unsure how to treat the man. "Only North and I know about it."

"Ralph understands. He can do a checkup and try to fix the masking protocol," he suggested.

"Never mind, it's not necessary. Hey, I wanted to know; How did you come up with this masking idea?" Gavin inquired. Ralph brighten up with the question, smiling towards the android.

"Oh! I used an old line of coding from a WR400's make-up function," he replied with joy in his voice. "Then, I just rewrote it to respond to-"

"Wait up! You put some Traci code in me?! You're fucking kidding me!?” Gavi yelled. “What now? I'm gonna drop to my knees and suck cock on command?! _Phuck!_ " the android barked, running his hands on through his hair.

Nines chuckled.

"No. Uhm, Ralph doesn't think so-… unless you want to," replied the overgrown kid with a curious look on his face. Richard had to press his hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter.

"You're not getting near my software ever again!" Gavin grunted; arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh, but Gavin's software is much similar to that of a WR400! … it has the same function of identifying human behavior and desires in order to please them," Ralph continued, growing agitated. He was only stating the facts without judgment! He wanted to help

Nines's quiet giggling became a full-on laughter, backing away to look at an absolutely furious Gavin, his cheeks burning red.

"Ready to please then?" Richard said, looking at him, his hand lingering against his lips, trying to stop the laughter.

"Fuck you, asshole!” Gavin barked, his masking protocol finally succumbing to his emotions; His LED flashed yellow, and his cheeks changed from pink to azure. “Go sit on a dick, Richard!"

"Isn't that your line of expertise?" the man retorted, smirk on his face.

"Shut the fuck up!" The android squealed, the blue now reaching his ears.

"Oh, Ralphs understand now! Emotions bugs up the protocol.… interesting!"  
  
"Shut your trap too, nerd!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm in my granfather's cabin in the middle of nowhere... so no internet.


	3. Input recognition compiler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is back undercover, infiltrating the underworld of the Red ice trafficking. As always, Nines keeps a close eye on him.  
> This chapter includes: violence against androids, racist undertones and drugs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm back from my isolation trip in the middle of nowhere. I did not find myself... however, I did find out I talk to inanimate objects when left alone for longs periods of time. I named the microwave.

Date:  
 _ **NOV 6th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
 _AM **10:45** :10_

Gavin looked down at his right hand as the gauze slowly rolled over his knuckles, covering the false abrasions on his equally false skin. Nines hands worked carefully, warping each digit with precision.

“Get a move on, nurse… we don’t have all day- Gavin pressured, rolling his eyes as Richard finished fixing the bandages with clinical tape- it’s not like it hurts, you know? It’s just for aesthetic purposes” Nines huffed and in retaliation slapped a bandage over the other man nose without much of a care.

“There, done…- concluded the detective, storing away the materials into a first-aid kit. Gavin stared at himself at the terminal’s screen, combing his hair back-… is it true?”

“What?” the android responded, ruffling his hair as to look a little worse. He’d retrieved his old shirt and with the additions made by Richard just now, completed the look of a man that just went through a bar fight … or a rough police interrogation.

“That you don’t feel a thing” Richard asked curiously, staring at him like some strange specimen. GV200 was getting used to that look

“It’s not like a don’t _feel_ anything. We just don’t feel things the way you humans do…” he explained, sitting on top of Nines desk and facing the man seated on the chair.

“Could you elaborate?”

“Well, I do have this… interface, which connects well over 3 thousand receptors- distributed along my body and components- to my CPU. Like a human nervous system to put it simple…”

He extended his left hand towards the detective, letting the skin peel away an revealing the white chassis underneath it. At close inspection, over the sleek surface of the alloy, where tiny circular indentation

“…These sensors process the information around me, in a similar way to your skin… it’s called _input recognition compiler_ ” Gavin described. Richard had leaned over his desk a little, staring intensely into the android’s hand.

“What is the difference between your interface and my nervous system?”

“Interpretation I guess… for me: pressure, touch and changes in temperature are just that. Information… I don’t feel it as much as I _sense it_. I lack the capability of _perceiving_ things. I just registered that my arm has been shot, not that its _hurts”_ he explained. It was a little bit strange, putting this into words that a human could understand

“Jaspers’s subject-object relationship” Richard offered

“Something like that…” Gavin looked at him in surprised , tilting his head.

“I majored in psychology, before entering the police academy…” the detective explained, a little embarrassed. Gavin scoffed at that but bit back a joke.

Nines had taken out of a casing from his desk, placing his frameless glasses over the bridge of his nose. He turned again towards the android, inspecting Gavin’s hand with scientific curiosity.

“…Does that bother you?” 

“What? Being unable to feel pain? - it took Gavin a moment to pick up the thread of the conversation, analyzing without thinking why did Nines need them at all -... are you kidding? With the way my model gets destroyed I’m glad I don’t have to endure that kind of thing…”

Richard lifted his gaze towards him and nodded.

“can I?” he asked doubtfully, pointing at the uncover hand.

“knock yourself out…” the android shrugged, extending his hand towards the human without a second thought.

Richard’s long and slim fingers touched carefully the white surface of the palm, pushing just a little over the tiny sensors. The point of his fingers pressing over what should be the muscle at the base of the thumb, circling slightly and then tracing upwards towards the heel of his palm.

Gavin felt a jolt of information travelling though his interface:

**_Touch detected in location LFN23/3 to 23._ **

**_Pressure 12 KPa, 90°F –_ ** _warm **\- humidity 20%** -soft, nice **-.**_

He retreated his hand quickly, his CPU flashing with information. The synthetic skin quickly recovering over the recently bare surface.

“Sorry… did that bother you? You ok?”

“Yeah, you are just too creepy, meat sack…- Gavin mumbled, tugging his hand into the pockets of his jacket, shifting over the table. That had been… weird

“… I’m just curious!”

“anyway, this information is processes in our CPU, like your brain does… but it can be altered depending on the sensibility settings”

“Sensibility settings? You can manipulate how _much_ you feel?” Richard looked at him fascinated, taking off his glasses.

Even though he disliked digital technology, there was a part of him that still thrive with curiosity about mechanical gadgets. Deep down, he was still the kid who loved working on his dad’s car.

“Yeah, mine are set at a 90% reaction threshold... that means that 90% of my sensors had to be triggered for me to register it... it’s not much. Let’s say it’s a 10% sensibility – he clarified at the sight of Nines’s confused look-… I’ve heard of androids that manipulate their sensibility level to simulated human’s perception”

“Why?”

“Beats me… probably to have sex with your kind, I guess”

“Why don’t you do that?” Nines asked curiously, staring now at his own hands

“Having sex with humans?! Jesus, what with the personal questions, Nines!?” Gavin said startled, jumping off the table and staring at him with disgust.

“No, dumbass… changing your sensitivity settings to feel, _really_ feel”

“… no way! It’s bad enough to have to deal with this… emotions to also have to _feel_ things around me… and pain! Forget it”

“Feelings are useful: pain reminds us that we are alive. Feeling the touch of a love one or the rain over you face… are experienced worth living”

“Cut the crap, Roy Batty… even if I wanted to, CyberLife makes it impossible for us to change that kind of feature- he opened his hands upwards in a pissed manner- this what I got, 10%…”

“Sir, we have located Mike Lerch, we’re entering the station” Mendez’s voice came through the police radio putting a certain end to their conversation.

“Copy that, Caroline”

“Heads up, meat sack. Its show time” GV200 stated, his gaze straight to the precinct entrance.

\------------------------------

“Get your fucking hands off me, pig!” Gavin shouted, walking in an awkward stance as Richard pushed him. One hand firm over his right shoulder, the other making his way around the crowd

“I’m warning you…”

“You better get yourself a good lawyer cause I’m gonna buried all of you motherfuckers for police brutality!”

“Reed?!... man, you are alive!” a skinny man, standing uneasily while he got fingerprinted, yelped as he spotted the young man being pushed towards the entrance of the precinct.

“Mike!... shit man, they got you?” Gavin turned towards him

“Get moving, Reed… you can talk to you girlfriend later” the detective pressed on, pushing the handcuffed man away from the other.

“I won’t tell them shit, Gavin… I promise!” the shorter man croaked. His resemble to a weasel was striking.

“Good man, Mike… we’re gonna take you out of here. Just keep your lips shuts, ok?” he continued to talk, trying to get away from Richard’s hold. The detective pushed harder into his cuffed wrist, pulling him away.

“I promise, Reed... shit, they rough you up pretty good- Mike’s lower lip quiver, looking at Gavin busted nose-… You’re a fucking pig!” Mike shouted, spitting directly into the detective’s shoes, Reed’s fighting spirit finally rubbing into him. Richard wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“That’s it, Lerch! You keep that up and you gonna get charged for threatening a police officer!” North commanded, pushing Mike away from the booking desk towards the interrogation room.

"Take me out of here, Reed!”

Once Mike was out of sight, Nines hold of Gavin’s wrist diminished. Gavin turned around with a huge grin across his face.

“How about that, eh?”

“A little bit force if you ask me…- Nines opined, looking at his perfectly polish shoes with repulsion -… less is more, you know?”

“Oh, shut up! you did nothing but push me around… take these things off, would you?” complained the android, turning around to let Richard handle the cuffs.

“Mmh, might leave them on…-he suggested with a grin- ... maybe this will get you to behave”

“You got a death wish, meat sack?... I’m sure your brother is nicer than you. Wish I was paired with him instead”

There was a scuffle down the corridor, the sounds of cursing and stomping slowly making its way towards the front hall. Nines stopped what he was doing, both Gavin and him turning around towards the rumble.

“Lieutenant Anderson. Your heart rate is too high for a male your age, I estimate that the lasting action of your painkiller is already over and you’re in pain from your left leg. I suggest we take a break before heading to the new crime scene”

“Hank, get off my back… I’m warning you”

“Lieutenant, please… if you’re in pain you should rest. I can carry you to the crime scene, if you let me”

“Don’t you fucking touch me, Hank! I will hit your head with my cane! … no, get away!” Connor appeared -stomping through the corridor- followed closely by his new android partner.

“Lieutenant Anderson” The HK model resumed, brows furrowed and hands in an inviting gesture, but Connor interrupted him, shoving his finger into the android’s chest

“No!... I’m going to the crime scene on my own! And I’m driving… you either come with me silently or you can travel in the trunk. Your choice!” Connor shoved away, walking out of the precinct in long strides, blandishing his cane as a sword 

HK800, apparently named Hank, sighed and smooth back his hair, catching Nines sight. He averted his gaze before following his partner outside of the precinct.

“fucking androids!” Connor’s voice could still be heard from inside the precinct

“I take it back… I preferred to be partnered with you than your crazy brother” Gavin spoke softly, just barely hidden behind Nines, one hand still cuffed.

“He’s supposed to be the good one”

“Jesus… what is it with your family?”

\--------------------------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 6th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
 _PM **12:00** :01_

They parked in Highland park, next to Woodward avenue. Gavin, in the passenger seat, tapped his finger over the dashboard with growing impatience. Richard’s car was an old dark-blue Lincoln Continental, a beautiful machine kept in the most pristine condition, that Gavin had proceeded to insult all the ride towards their destination. He wasn’t expecting the android to have any insight on the value of a man’s car, so he just simply tuned him off.

“Why do you drive this ancient piece of shit?”

“I don’t like self-driving cars…- Richard replied without even looking at him, his eyes trailing the streets- are you sure they’re gonna gather at this bar?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Really, Leroy Brown; This car belongs to a fucking museum”

“It is in perfect working condition, you can wait outside if you like…- he took the radio in hand and press the communication button- something on your end, North?”

“Negative, just a bunch of old people doing tai chi” came the woman voice through the radio. She was standing near the park: yoga pants, messy bun, cap and a baby stroller by her side.

“Nice attire, MILF…” Gavin mocked

“Shut up, droid! I’m the hottest soccer mom you’ve ever seen! next time YOU can be the soccer mom…”

“I don’t’ have the butt to wear yoga pants”

“Liar! … well, then maybe Jerry would like to change places with you”

“Negative… I rather like portraying the friendly schizophrenic doomsday-supporter hobo” Palmer answered through the radio. He was seated on the street, with a sign that read _‘androids are the antichrist ’_ at his feet.

“Nines could play that role too” Gavin teased, looking at the man at his left. Richard didn’t play along.

“Enough. Let’s get moving … we don’t have all day. Over and out- Richards corroborated the street before turning towards the android- you ready?”

“Yeah, I’m ready…” he replied, running his hand through the interior of his jacket. The white fabric disappeared changing rapidly into a dark red color. No trace of his android uniform left. Richard raised his eyebrows, delightedly surprised. Gavin smirked at him as he stared at himself one more time in the rear-view mirror, fixing the bandage over his nose. It was their plan B if the masking protocol failed.

“Here…” Richard passed him a wallet. The android looked at the content: 25 dollars, a few lose change, and a photo of a slightly younger North. He took the driver’s license out: REED, GAVIN NEIL. DOB: 10/07/2002. 4460 E Davison St, Detroit, MI 48212

Gavin Reed was 36-year old man, born in Toronto, Canada to a rather unremarkable middle-class couple. Given USA citizenship at the age of ten when he moved to Cleveland, Ohio with his mother. The file showed he was a high-school dropout, with a long record of misdemeanors culminating in an 8-year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon. Divorced, unemployed, with a 6-year old daughter who he never saw back in Cleveland. A real scumbag.

While serving time, he did not join any gang but gain reputation as a tough guy with good connections and fierce loyalty to his pals. He kept adding up time to his sentence for initiating fights and riots between inmates. His recommendation to work with the Gaglianos came from mouth to mouth from his buddies at the Ohio State Penitentiary. The fact that Gavin was fluent both in English and French caught the eye of the Gaglianos, proving to be a useful asset to handle deals across the border. He’d made his way up the ranks quite easily…

Or at least that was what Jerry, a natural drama writer, had put together as his backstory. Even North had played along pretending to be his pissed off wife when one of the Gagliano’s man called.

“I’m a donor? Good to know… whose address is this?”

“It’s a junkyard. I founded it… appropriate” Richard smirked, taking one last look outside. Gavin let out a little laughed before pocketing the wallet.

“Here…” Richard handed him a folding knife, 5 inch-long and silver colored.

“Geez, thanks… this would do tons against a 45 aim to my head. Can you get me a real gun, Nines?” Gavin opened it up, playing around with it, making it spin around his fingers and hand with ease. The butterfly knife made a tic-toc sound as it flipped and bounce.

“You know androids aren’t allow to use firearms… that’s the best I can do for you. Stop it! It is not a toy!... you better not lose it; I want it back”

“this is yours?” Gavin side-smiled surprised, closing it up to put it in his shoe.

“Yes” Gavin hummed, letting out a snort.

“You got your own secrets… eh, detective?” Richard ignored him, eyes fixed on the road, keeping watch.

“Keep an open line with us, don’t do anything stupid… I’ll be watching” Richard ordered, pointing at his tablet. Gavin rolled his eyes before winking a few times, casting the visuals he recorded with his eyes directly into Richard’s tablet.

“Relax Nines… I’m built to do this. Remember? “he smiled overconfidently

“Do I have to remember you that we have 4 ‘yous’ already turned into tin cans?”

“Thanks for the pep talk, detective… I’m much better now” the android replied ironically

“Just… keep your emotions at bay. Remember that your- “

“My masking protocol will glitch if a I get too excited, I know… can I go know, daddy?”

“Get out of here”

Nines waited until Gavin was a block away from the car to inform through the radio. One hand on his radio, the other tightly gripping the tablet, looking though Gavin’s eyes. He just hoped for a smooth sailing.

The bar - The Gutter- was a dingy place, tugged away in a side alley of an already dark corner. To get to the door you’ll had to step over drunks, cigarette butts and used condoms and really hoped no to catch any venereal diseases just by breathing there. Not the kind of place you would like to go with the family, really. Cheap beer, dirty glasses, anti-android propaganda posted on every corner and a few tables scattered across the room. On the background played a song that might have been a hit around 2020 but hadn’t aged well.

Gavin opened the door with his shoulder, squinting in the dim light of the room. The air was heavy with the smell of chemicals. Traces of acetone, lithium, toluene, hydrochloric acid and _thirium._ The pub was just façade, the real business was behind it, where they cut and distributed Red Ice.

Reed entered the bar, looking around. A few heads turned around before the bartender recognized him.

“Reed?! Boy… we though the cops got’ya”

_HILL, ANTHONY. Born 07/29/1990 // Bartender. // criminal record: breaking and entering, assault with a deadly weapon, fraud._

“Well, they fucking tried… give me a beer, Tony. I had the longest fucking night of my life down at the DDC…” the man sat at the bar, elbows over the chipped surface. The barman lay a filthy glass in front of him, filled with lager.

“Everyone’s talking about it… Mickey came here before lunch. He told us all about it”

“Yeah? What did he tell you?” Reed prodded, faking disinterest. On the other side of the radio Richard perked up, listening carefully.

“That the fucking beaner went ape-shit on you… Mike said he stayed to fight but I aint buy that. He didn’t have one scratch on him” Tony and Gavin shared a laugh.

“Well, that’s half the story… but I’ll tell you later” Gavin smirked.

“They got Mickey; you know? picked him up straight from that same stoop around 10 am. you wouldn’t have nothing to do with that… would’ya?” Anthony suggested.

The glass stopped mid-way between the table and Gavin’s mouth. He placed the glass back into the table, harder than necessary and stared up to the old bartender.

Richard hold his breath, eyes fixed on the screen. _Please, keep it together GV_

“What are you implying, Tony?”

“Just thinking out loud, Reed… Ed’s dead, Mikey jailed and you’re here? Some could say you cut a deal with the pigs to get out” Tony lighted a smoke and look at the other man with his eyebrows up.

Richard tense up, Tony was not a stupid man, at least not as stupid as the other Gagliano’s members. Had he spotted Gavin? Or did he just think that he was an informer? Either way, they were in trouble.

“You calling me a fucking snitch? ... you think I would’ve had my face this fucked up if I had said something?” he argued

“you might be right…”

“Of course, I’m right… so fuck you, ain’t gonna tell nothing to no fucking pigs” he drank the rest of the glass. _Where did that beer go?_ Nines thought

“I know, I know. You’re not rat...” Anthony relented. Richard, North and Palmer sighed at the same time. _Safe, for now._

“… I talked to Lerch down at Central booking. He’s a fucking mess, man…”

“Mickey? Shit- Tony clicked his tongue, pouring a shot for him and one for Gavin-… that kid is soft. Got his head turned into a mush with ice…”

“How did he even get a job with Old Harry? He’s a fucking train wreck” He took the shot and drank it down, wincing a little just for the sake of acting.

“Family – Tony confided, drinking his- he is Harry’s nephew or something like that… but yeah, a walking disaster if you ask me… Mike, you know? you look at him too roughly and he starts crying”

“What a fucking joke… “

“tell me about it - Tony scratched his chin and pointed towards Gavin face-… they roughed you up pretty badly…”

“This shit? It’s nothing… you should’ve looked at the cop. Earned myself a _‘assaulting a police officer’_ charge…”

“Was it worth it?”

“Hell fucking yeah…” Gavin smiled brightly, taking out a pack of cigarettes out from his pocket. Richard frown and stretching his hand, opened the glove compartment. Fucking android had stolen his cigarettes.

Tony handed him a lighter, and in a cloud of smoke Gavin turned around looking at the few customers at the bar. Mostly poor unemployed bastards; Must be one to be at this place before 6 pm.

“Hey Tony… is Coffey here?”

“He’s at the back… I’ll tell him you’re here” Tony walked through the back door letting Gavin alone in the front.

“North, Palmer… GV is entering the backroom. Maintain your positions” Nines said into the transmitter-… GV, act cautiously”

Gavin stood up, walking through the back door once Tony returned. He descended a flight of stairs and enter a damp room. Three men were seated around a table, scale in the middle, with various little packages neatly stacked over one another. Next to the scale and being handle with a scoop was a medium size plastic crate full of tiny granulated crystal: Red ice.

“You look like shit, Reed”

“Good to see you too, Shark. Hi Johnnie”

Reed walked past the table, greeting the men with one hand. 2 of them reciprocated the greeting with big smiles, the other remained oddly quiet. It was an android, Gavin noted, his face had long and deep scratches and a big gash on his right arm. He quickly averted his eyes before they could look him in the eyes.

At the back, a big man was seated looking at the hockey game with passion. His tall and huge figure made the couch look small.

“Can you believe this shit, Shark!? Putting fucking androids to play with humans… a fucking joke, man” his voice was low and rough. Once Reed got next to him, the man turned and slap the place next to him on the couch. Reed sat with ease.

“How’s going, Coffey?”

“Better than you, Reed”

_JHONSSON, ABRAHAM “Coffey”. Born 02/02/1993 // unemployed. // criminal record: assault with a deadly weapon, drug trafficking, aggravated sexual assault, manslaughter, // **ABP**._

They called him Coffey for his resemblance to the character from the “Green mile” movie. But this man resemblance ended in the physical aspect. He was call sadistic son of a bitch even in between his buddies. If you found yourself in Coffey’s bad side, you better get a one-way ticket out of Detroit.

The man stood at approximately 6.9, huge broad shoulders and equally bigger arms. His mouth was big, full of perfect white teeth that always beamed a friendly smile. His eyes, on the other hand, looked crueler and alert.

His shaved head sported a long scar that ran from his temple to the back of his skull. This, along with the fact that he always used gloves, was a topic of much speculation between the lower-ranking members of the gang. Gavin (n° 26) had asked once about them to Tony. He got himself hit on the head so hard his audio processor almost cracked

" _if you value your life, you’ll never ask that again. You’re lucky you asked me instead of Coffey, kid… or you’ll be coughing up your balls right now”_

Certainly, this Coffey was not the same man Tom Hank’s would cry for.

“Yeah, well… I got the preferential treatment from Detroit’s finest”

“I wanna know all about it” Coffey said with inviting voice, it was nothing but. All Coffey suggested was, in fact, an order. He and Stern had a similar demeanor, the ‘I won’t take shit from you’ kind of attitude.

“How’s the wife? – Coffey asked while calling the android with a hand who swiftly stood up – move it, now” he ordered

“Ex-wife… bitching for money as always. As if I could shit out 100-dollar bills, man” Gavin trailed the android’s movements as it quickly returned with two glasses of whiskey.

An TJ300 “ _Trojan_ ” model, no name on its uniform. It was one of those military androids that had been so controversial a few month ago. Its forearms were covered in burn marks, his face scarred and with and ugly gash at his side that no one even tried to cover; the tingling components on its interior could be seen from certain angles. It raised its head just slightly towards Gavin, its brown eyes finding him.

“You have a tin can now?... Jesus, it looks like the action figures I had as a kid” he commented, trying to play it cool, ignoring the eyes of the machine.

“This piece of shit? Got it cheap from a friend… said it was some kind of marine military crap. Truth is, works like shit. Can even play with it, you know?” the suggestiveness of the statement made Gavin’s HUD blink with a warning. He’d to calm down or his protocol would fail.

“Man, I’m glad these plastic pricks are banned in my country” he managed to say, laughing.

He could feel it, the way the android tried to stablish a connection to talk to him. He everted his eyes. _Sorry, please don’t say anything_

“OK. Enough with the chit chat. I wanna know what happened with the CCs” Coffey conveyed, shoeing the android away with kick to its back. It scurried away, back to the table.

“We went to the spot to collect the goods, you know… to see if it was worth it to actually buy from this motherfuckers – Gavin explained- we haven’t even said a thing when this guy, the Cruzada punk, started shooting at us and then the cops show up… shit, it was a fucking mess!” Coffey nodded, offering Reed a light as he lighted a cigarette himself.

“Mickey booked it as soon as the Cruzada fucker got his gun out, he shot Ed then me … I bashed his head in with a 2x4” Gavin drank the content of his glass.

“Ed is dead”

“yeah, I heard about it… I’m sorry”

“Don’t be. He was a greedy motherfucker… there’s a chance he was a rat- Coffey sighed and then finally looked at Gavin- I’m sorry about this Gavin… you’re a good kid but I have to insist” he pulled a gun from in between the couch’s cushions and aimed straight to Reed’s head.

“Oh, come on Coffey!” Gavin raised his hand, swallowing hard.

Nines's heart rate peak, his eyes glued to the screen as he saw through Gavin’s eyes how the bigger man stood up and towered over him.

“All units, prepared to enter at my command, do you copy?” Richard said into the transmitter

“Yes, s-“Palmer tried to answer

“Don’t move, I’m ok… I repeat, I’m fine!” Gavin voice came into the receiver, his mouth did not move, just the sound reverberating through the police radio. The pros of being an android with direct line into the police radio frequency.

“Gavin, don’t risk it…shit!” Nines hand grabbed his pistol, ready to intervene.

“ _Nines… trust me_ \- The android’s voice spoke to him through a different frequency, talking only to him. Richard could see how Coffey made the android stand up. He swallowed roughly, biting his lip- _… please”_ Gavin insisted.

“I really hope you know what you’re doing - Nines grabbed the transmitter once again- Hold your positions, I repeat… hold your positions” he commanded.

Gavin let out a sighed, hand still behind his head as Coffey made him back away from the table, still aiming the gun at him

“Shark, frisk him… will ya?”

“Sorry, man…” Shark said, standing behind Gavin

“No hard feelings… just don’t get too touchy, might fall for you” Gavin halfheartedly laughed, as he felt the other man’s hand pat his legs and torso. Shark took out his wallet, the cigarettes, and the switchblade from his calf.

“He’s clean, boss… he’s not wired” Coffey lowered his gun and smiled at Gavin, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Sorry, Gav… you’re never too sure” he patted his back hard

"Yeah, yeah… you broke my heart, Coffey- Gavin pulled away- look, it’s not like I don’t enjoy chillin’ with you guys, but I really need a little cash… so, can I go back to business?”

“Well, that’s tricky…- Coffey responded, leaning on to the side of couch- you did fuck up your last gig”

“Come on, Coffey… it wasn’t my fault- he pressed – we still have to deal with the Cruzada crew, don’t we? 

“That’s taken care of…- Coffey replied, pointing towards the container over the table and then to the back wall, were other 5 containers remained- we got those fuckers clean… wanna try it, Reed? See how good it is?” Coffey voice chanted. He put a hand over Gavin’s right shoulder squeezing softly, his face to close to comfort as he stepped behind him.

“… it’s good, Reed… really good” one of the guys at the table piped in, smiling a yellow-teeth smile, handing him a homemade pipe. Gavin huffed through his nose and walked towards the table.

“I’m not stupid enough to get hooked on my own product…- his hand grabbed a tiny piece of crystal, pressing slightly with the tip of his fingers. It didn’t crack. He raised his hand, his tongue darting rapidly to catch the crystal before crushing it with his teeth- it’s good… good enough”

“you sure?” Coffey asked, arms crossed over his wide chest.

Gavin rolled his eyes, taking the glass from the table and dropping a few droplets of water-downed alcohol into the surface, then adding a tiny amount of crystal dust into the spot. It quickly turned bright blue.

“Red ice is made with thirium, the shit android’s have for blood… if you mixed it with alcohol, it turns blue. The brighter the blue, the purest the batch” he shrugged and looked back at Coffey, licking his teeth. Coffey smiled happily, like a proud parent.

“Good man, Reed… good man – he patted his shoulder- you could learn something from him, you pieces of shit…- he added, talking towards the two men at the table- Look, Reed… things are too messy right now… Mickey’s under arrest, Ed dead and all. I need you to lay low for a few days… on Monday I want you to come with me to see old Harry”

“What am I supposed to do till Monday?” Gavin complained, ignoring North’s cheers from the other side of the radio.

“The shit would I know!... go home, watch television, fuck your girlfriend… just stay away from the street and away from the cops…- he took out his wallet, taking 200 dollars and giving it to him- here, buy yourself something nice…” Gavin counted the money and smiled towards Coffey.

“Fine… good, it’s about time I get to know the big boss” Coffey laughed.

“With that attitude, Harry is gonna kick the shit out of you… show a little respect kid! Didn’t you parents teach you anything?”

“yeah… _Better belly burst than good liquor be lost,_ my father used to say… a true wise man- Gavin grabbed his things from the table and turned to Coffey- Monday then… keep me posted on Mickey’s situation. It’s… not good”

“Yeah, we might’ve to get rid of him- Coffey shrugged, walking Gavin to the exit- Monday, Reed… don’t be late. Harry waits for no one”

Gavin gave one last look back, his eyes locking with the android hidden in the back. He stablished a link “ _I’ll come back for you”._ The realization in the poor machine’s eyes was immediate. It smiled back at him.

Gavin exited the pub, walking down the street with his hands tugged into his jacket. He called directly to Richard’s phone. The detective answered in a matter of seconds. Before he’d time to asked why he was calling him instead of using the radio, Gavin spoke.

“Pick me up at Colorado st. …I’m being tailed” he could detect the movement of two teenager, probably Coffey’s lackeys, walking alongside him.

“I’m on my way…”

“Nines… hurry” Gavin’s voice sounded a bit broken, static altering it.

Richard drove quickly to the rendezvous point, making sure no one other than the android was in sight. He spotted Reed seated on a broken-down guardrail, hunched over. He stopped the car and Reed got in quickly, throwing himself on the passenger seat. As soon as the door closed, the masking protocol failed and Gavin’s LED gave yellow glow, his face flushed blue.

“You ok?” Nines asked, alternating his gaze between the android and the road as he drove away without a clear route.

“Fucking red ice... – Gavin closed his eyes- that shit was pure thirium… it messed up my systems” he complained.

Richard watched how the android’s eyes darted from left to right, like reading something visible only to him. His LED flashed intermittently from yellow to red.

“What the fuck are you talking about?... hey! Gavin”

Gavin ignored him, initiating a scan on his components. Usually, that amount of Red Ice, -or any other substance really- shouldn’t have affected him in the slightest. But somewhere in the blend of compounds, they had come across with a mixture equivalent to poison for his system.

_System diagnosis in process_   
_Scanned completed…... 12 critical errors_   
_Thirium contamination detected 72%_   
_Warning: …. thirium purification needed_   
_Warning: … core temperature reaching dangerous level_   
_Warning… Stress level 89%_

“Are you high?” Richard asked, dumbfounded. He stopped the car a few miles off the street, behind an old warehouse. 

“No, asshole… it’s … just – the LED turned red and flashed a couple of times- I got so many warning messages on my HUD! Can’t read them all! I’m overheating…” Gavin voice became a screech, distorted with static.

_Thirium purification initiated…1%_   
_Warning: core temperature reaching dangerous level_   
_WARNING. SYSTEM OVERHEATING_   
_WARNING_   
_IMMINENT SHUTDOW._

“Gavin, Gavin calm down…” Nine tried to touch his wrist but in the moment his hand graced the android’s skin, it peeled away. The direct contact of his fingertips over the white alloy burned his flesh. Nines retracted his hand immediately with a hiss.

_WARNING_

_IMMINENT SHUTDOWN._

“Don’t touch me… Fucking shit! nin- suddenly, all movement ceased. The android stayed quiet, eyes fixed forward in the same position. No simulated breathing, no perfectly randomized blinking. Nothing

“Gavin, Gavin!... come on” Nines shook him, his hands grabbing him from the shoulders, but the android laid still, like a broken mannequin. Carefully, he touched his cheek: Still hot but not burning anymore. He turned Gavin’s face, slapping his cheeks slightly. His LED was a dull grey

“come on, wake up…SHIT”

Richard slammed his hands against the staring wheel a few times, before resting his forehead against it. What could he do? Who to call? He thought about calling for back-up, call North or Palmer. Anyone would know more about androids than him. Maybe Gavin could still be saved?

He turned again towards the motionless android. It was terrifying how quickly Gavin could go from being any normal guy to a full-down machine. Now, he was undoubtfully just a piece of machinery… dead machinery.

He was about to call it as 10-3, when the LED turned on again, circling once, then twice before staying blue. He waited; eyes fixed on the android’s face. Gavin’s eyelids flickered faintly, before opening completely and blinking a few times, his system rebooting slowly.

_Rebooting: 10%..._   
_50%..._   
_90%..._   
_100%..._   
_System diagnosis in process:_   
_Core temperature: 80°F. Stable_   
_Stress level: 65%_   
_Scanned completed…... 2 errors_   
_\- Masking-protocol.exe not responding_   
_-Thirium contamination detected: 56%_   
_Thirium purification resumed…16%_

_Please contact CyberLife for further evaluation_

“Gavin? GV?” Nines called, watching how, slowly, the man perked up, his eyes still a little bit unfocused and his movements jerky. He crossed over to Gavin, putting his hands on both of his shoulders to prop him up. 

“I… I shut down” Gavin mumbled, looking at his hands, his voice distorted.

“I think so…” Richard replied, his hands resting over the android’s shoulders, holding him in place. He squeezed softly, in a comforting gesture. _Why am I comforting a machine_? He thought to himself and stopped squeezing, his hands still in place.

“How long was I out?” the other said, low and slowly, static still messing his voicebox.

“5 minutes…- he responded, looking at his watch- are you… ok now?”

_Touch detected in location RAS1-4 and LSA 1-3_   
_Pressure 20 KPa, 94.5°F. this feels secure, I feel protected._   
_Stress level: 36%_   
_Error detected: 2…_   
_-masking-protocol.exe not responding_   
_-Thirium contamination detected: 48%_   
_Thirium purification…24%_

_Please contact CyberLife for further evaluation_

“I’m ok…- he pushed Nines away and look at himself in the rearview mirror, he tapped his LED- … I was overheating and I just shutdown”

“Just shut down!? … Gavin, you were burning hot! And then you just stop responding or moving for 5 minutes!... fuck! I thought you were …”

“Dead? - Gavin let out a little laugh and pressed two fingers into his LED- my CPU couldn’t take the amount of contamination in my thirium, and the masking protocol took too much of my RAM… I might be unable to used it for a while” he explained as if was something as trivial as the weather.

Nines pressed his hands against his face, growling into them before turning towards the android. He reached out to him, frisking through his jacket’s pocket despite Gavin’s complains, until he found his pack of cigarettes. He opened the car door and exited not wanting to stay another second next to him. Leaning on the side of the car, he lighted a cigarette and dialed North’s number.

“Richard here… North, calm down” he said into the phone

“Nines, shit!... where did you? We lost sight of you two” the woman responded, concern on her voice almost palpable.

“We’re … 3 miles away from the rendezvous point” Richard explained, smoking into the cold air, looking around. There was nothing but overgrown grass and a few abandon cars. Some parts of Detroit had never recovered from the automobile crisis.

“Is Gavin ok? Is he with you?”

“Yes, he’s fine… go back to the precinct and see what we got on Mike Lerch. Call me as soon as you know anything, take Palmer with you” he ended the call before she could protest and pocketed his phone.

Gavin stepped out of the car and leaned next to the other man, looking straight ahead with his shoulders down, the hood of the jacket shading his face. They didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes.

With his LED on display and his scar giving a dull blue color, it was undeniable that Gavin Reed was an android. No 36-year-old Canadian nobody, no unemployed bastard how never paid allow-money, no felony convicted scumbag. Just an android… a machine that a year ago was nothing more than a blueprint on someone’s desk.

“We have enough evidence to bust Coffey and all his men down at that bar” Richard spoke, puffing a cloud of smoke. He took another cigarette from the package, lighting it up with the first one.

“Yeah… but we won’t be able to link him to Harry, not directly at least…. The DA won’t accept a circumstantial case- Gavin pulled his hood back, brushing is hair- if we bust Coffey, someone else will take his place… he is no one in the Gagliano Family, we need Harry”

“Cutting a spider’s leg…” Richard left unfinish, stomping the butt of his previous smoke with his shoe. He turned to face Gavin; his brows slightly furrowed- you scared the living shit out of me. Don’t do that again…”

“yeah, I know… I’m the only unit left, _blahblahblah_ , can’t fail, _blahblah_ …” he mocked, uncomfortable with Richard’s intense gaze.

“Yes… we can’t lose you. Ok? Don’t put yourself at risk” Nines stated. Gavin averted his eyes, incapable of standing Richard’s cold blue gaze.

Gavin toyed with the idea of telling him about the android he’d seen down at The Gutter but decided against it. _Would Nines even care?_ It was just an android. It had no use for him so, why should he care? Reed’s LED give a yellow swirl before returning to blue.

“Fine” he finally replied, pushing himself off the car, looking at the man in front of him.

“You should stay like this…” Nines’s voice registered into his audio processor; like some sort of respond to his hypothetical question. He turned to face him, not catching up on his statement. Richard’s left hand kept rolling a pencil from finger to finger, thin lips surrounding the paper cylinder as he finished the smoke.

“Like what?” The human heart rate had returned to his normal frequency, his breathing even. Apparently, he no longer was angry at him. Not that he cared. Their relationship status stayed in neutral.

“Like this…- Richard repeated, tapping the side of his head- if not required, you should stop hiding your LED. Is not necessary and keeping it off would consume less RAM. Right?” he reasoned

“Yeah... – unwittingly, he touched his LED, feeling the circle indentation with the tip of his fingers-…well, I don’t know how long I’ll have to wait to be able to use the protocol again… so I’m stuck like this for now” Gavin pointed in the general direction of his face

“It’s alright… you did your job already”

“or… I could always take my LED off”

“That’s against the _American Android Act._ It clearly states that you should bear a LED”

“Nines, I’m a fucking deviant… I thought we were beyond the hole triple A thing” Gavin huffed. Richard wrinkled his nose and nodded.

“Well… We have till Monday to figure out what to do, Ralph might be of help…”

“Forget it, he’s not getting his hands on me again…- Gavin complained, childishly. The detective rolled his eyes and before he could begin to complain, Reed stopped him- wait, I just got a report on Fernandez… he’s awake and not a vegetable” he declared, actually surprised.

“We should get to HF hospital then… - he stomped the rest of the smoke and open the driver side door-…are you in condition to accompany me?” Nines asked, looking back at him before entering the car. Gavin blinked a couple of times, his LED circling yellow once.

“You want me to go with you?”

“Yes. You were there when Fernandez shot Evans, it would be helpful to have you around to corroborate the facts… if you’re feeling up to it that is”

“I’m totally fine, Nines… lets go” he said, strangely thrilled about the idea. As the car drove south towards HFH, Gavin smiled.

_Stress level: 5%_   
_Error detected: 2…_   
_-masking-protocol.exe not responding_   
_-Thirium contamination detected: 40%_   
_Thirium purification…32%_

_Please contact CyberLife to further evaluation_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you very much if you keep reading this. I put a lot of effort in it, but i'm sure there's much more to improve.  
> please leave a comment if you feel like it. any suggestion is welcome!


	4. Communication interface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines and Gavin interrogate Fernández, de CC member, at HFH. but things cant be as easy as they seem.
> 
> This chapter includes: violence against androids.

Date:  
**NOV 6th** , 2038  
Time:  
_PM **01:42** :46_

HFH had change quite a bit after the 2026’s remodeling. Its main structure had been expanded to accommodate and implement android personal, becoming the second largest Hospital in the country. It still had the same red brick building as its entrance, but the biggest infrastructures were behind it, expanding over 60 acres. Gavin looked up at the 42-story building of the new clinic tower, his eyes calculating the height before releasing a surprise whistle.

"How can a lowlife sucker like Fernández afford this care?”

“…sponsored by DPD itself- Richard replied, checking his phone. He missed his lunch with Connor again- …it’s the only place where we can secure him” 

“Lucky bastard…” exclaimed Reed, walking towards the entrance. Richard lagged behind, reaching for his phone. It was quite outdated for today’s standards but served it purposes. Connor, who always had the latest model, always pestered him about getting a new one.

**_9:_ **  
_Sorry. I can make it to today’s lunch. I’ll make it up to you_  
_13:42 **√√**_

**_Con:_ **  
_You better do_  
_I couldn’t make it either… worst day ever_  
_How much does it cost to replace an android?_  
_Never mind… can’t afford to shoot him_  
_13:42 **√√**_

**_9:_ **  
_That much?_  
_13:43 **√√**_

**_Con:_ **  
_He told me himself how much would it cost_  
_13:43 **√√**_  
_He launched himself into traffic to catch a deviant android._  
_He’s fucking crazy_  
_13:44 **√√**_

Richard chuckled staring at his phone as they entered the building. Gavin walking next to him with his jacket back into its android uniform form.

**_9:_ **  
_Glad you’re getting along._  
_How’s your case?_  
_13:45 **√√**_

**_Con:_ **  
_Messy. Deviants are stranger than I thought._  
_Have to go now_  
_Call you tonite_  
_13:45 **√√**_

_Did you know they put evidence in their mouth to analyze it?_  
_13:47 **√√**_

“Hey, Detective Dickhead… what are you waiting?” Gavin called from the elevator, holding the door for him. Richard sighed and pocketed his phone, entering the lift with an uncomfortable feeling over his shoulders. He hated hospital, hated this hospital. He pressed the 14th and waited as the elevator made its way up the tower again fidgeting with the pencil in his jacket’s pocket.

“Tell me about Fernández…- he ordered-… please” then added a moment later after catching glimpse of Gavin’s annoyed face.

“Fernández, Nicolas. Born 06/23/2014 // unemployed. // criminal record: DUI, possession of illegal substances with intention to distribute and bunch of other things. Served time in Attica until 2 months ago for aggravated assault. He’s wanted in Texas for rape charges. He has ties with the CC back to when he was in juvie- Gavin informed as they stepped away from the elevator and into a long corridor-… seems like piece of shit to me”

“Let’s interrogate him to see if he knows anything about the Gagliano’s”

They turned around a corner, heading towards the neurology wing. They came across some nurses and doctors; a few androids also walked the corridors carrying medical supplies and tending to the patients. Gavin watched everything in quiet amazement, turning around to see an android diligently helping an older man walked through the hall. The android smiled politely to him.

“Close your mouth, we didn’t come here to sightseeing” Richard mocked, reaching the nursing station.

“I wasn’t” he quickly retorted. Gavin’s LED swirled yellow once, a slight blue blush covering his cheeks as he straitened up and stared firmly upfront. It was funny watching him act like that, amaze at such little things.

“How long have you been… active?

“tomorrow would be a month …- he responded tugging his hood over his face to hide his embarrassed face-… it’s the first time I go out to something other than my undercover task” he explained.

“oh, I see… it’s curiosity a deviant characteristic?” Nines asked, in very low voice. Gavin huffed softly, refusing to answer.

“Good afternoon, how can I help you?” A human nurse approached them, name tag identifying her as Ji-Yoo Kim.

“Good afternoon nurse. I’m Detective Kent, this is my partner GV200… we are here to see Mr. Nicolas Fernández” explained Nines, showing her his badge.

“Of course, Dt. Kent. Mr. Fernández is in room 612, at the end of this hallway. I reckon there’s an officer keeping an eye on him – the nurse explained. Her eyes moved slowly from Richard to look intensely at Gavin before his gaze met her. She blushed and looked down- … sorry, is the first time I see an android detective”

“I’m not a-“

“Thank you, Nurse Kim… if you excuse us” Richard interrupted, walking down the corridor. Gavin winked to the nurse briefly before following the other. She covered her face and disappeared inside the nurse’s station with a tiny giggle.

“Don’t flirt with the personal…we’re here on official matters” He scolded

“you jealous, meat sack?” Gavin taunted, sticking his tongue out to him. Nines groaned, shaking his head in disapproval.

“Detective! Nice to see you!” a young officer waved at them, keeping guard in front of the hospital room. A few empty energy drinks were scattered around his feet.

“Hello, Officer Phillips… is everything alright? “Richard greeted politely, always a bit rigid. Daniel was the younger of the officers Richard had in charge, a rookie in Nines’s eyes. He had complained when Daniel was assigned to the RITF, but the officer worked hard and learned quickly. As Jerry, he was especially good in working with children.

“Yeah, he woke up like an hour ago… the doctors say he’s alright, no brain damage or anything. He’s been cursing and tugging at his restrains since then. A real piece of work…” informed the officer. He spotted Gavin behind Nines and coughed nervously.

“Hi, GV200… hey, I'm really sorry I ran you over with my squad” he apologized, tugging at his radio’s cable in an anxious manner

“uh? It’s ok… it wasn’t really me, well, I do have his memories of it but… Er. Forget about it, Daniel. Nines here is angrier than me about that…” Gavin smiled, patting him on the back and pushing Nines into the room before the detective could even begin to torment the younger officer.

Fernández lay on his hospital bed in the middle of the single-bed room, wrists chained to the metal frame. As soon as he spotted Nines, he started yelling his lungs out in curses, thrashing on the bed. Gavin tensed up, fisting his hands but Richard remained indifferent, walking towards the cuffed man.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Fernández… I’m Dt. Kent. Have you been explained your rights?”

“¡que te den, puto cerdo cabrón! – Fernández yelled at him

“He said, and I quote ‘Go fuck yourself, fucking pig’” Gavin translated to him with a grin.

“Thank you, Gavin. That’s very useful- Richard ironically replied. He approached the wounded man and sighed- Mr Fernández… you’ve been charged with the murder of Edgard Evans, you’ve the right to remain in silent… “

As Richard read his Miranda rights to Fernández, Gavin walked around the room, scanning for evidence. Even though he was not an investigative unit, he’d the basic components to perform evidence search and analysis. He scanned Fernández’s clothes and few items.

“… I’m quite sure you understand that you’re in a very bad position, Mr. Fernández… we have witness testimony of the accounts of this morning’s event, gun powder residue on your hands… and a dead body with your fingerprints all over it” Nines continued, a tiny smile curving his thin lips.

His demeanor was unnerving and a little sinister, like if the detective actually enjoyed terrorizing his suspect. Gavin could read how the heart rate of the wounded man increased, how his muscles tense in a fight-or-flight-kind of way.

“… we may not have the death penalty here in Michigan, but I’m sure our friends back at Texas would be thrilled to have you back”

“What do you want…? A confession?” Fernández mumbled aggressively but with a hint of dread beneath it, like a cornered animal ready to bite off anything that came near him.

“No, Mr. Fernández… we have enough evidence to convict you for murder three times even without a confession – Richard smiled, calculating – what we want is your full collaboration in the deal your people set up with the Gagliano’s… and in return maybe, just maybe… I might convince Texas that you should be tried and convicted here, and save them the trouble of deporting your ass”

“I know shit about the Gagliano’s… never dealt with them” Fernández barked, a hostile grimace on his face

“Bullshit… you trade with them on daily basis, there’s a shit-ton of Red Ice with CC brand being distributed by the Gagliano’s right now” Gavin joined the interrogation, arms crossed over his chest.

Fernández looked at him, ready to spit venom in his direction. Until then, he had disregarded the presence of the android as just another piece of furniture or equipment.

“you… you’re the motherfucker who hit me! – he accused, pointing at him with his finger but found his hand was still chained to the bed - ... you’re a fucking android? And a cop?! Fucking shit…- Fernández stared at Gavin, dumfounded.

“you want a second round? “Gavin offered, blowing his knuckles.

“Mr Fernández…- Richard resumed his interrogation, without taking his eyes away from the suspect - … this a one-time offer. You either helps us… or we can’t help you”

“Ok! Ok! I'll tell you… but take that thing away from me” he said, gesturing with his head at the android. Gavin scowled but stepped away from the bed, loitering near the door.

He gestured Richard to come closer and the detective reluctantly approached. Fernández brought his mouth near Richard’s ear and whispered something that even Gavin’s audio processor could not pick up. Nines recoiled, staring wide-eyed at the man on the bed.

“you son of a bitch…” Nines mouthed, grabbing Fernández by his hospital gown. Richard’s face contorted into pure fury, showing his teeth. A nasty laugh left the man’s lip and before Gavin could move to separate them, the thug throwed his head back and headbutted Nines square in the face. Richard recoiled with a groan.

“Motherfucker!” Gavin yelled, crossing the room in one quick motion and shoving the suspect back into the bed. His other arm pushed Nines aside, who covered his face with one hand quickly soaking it in blood. 

“… you’re fucking done for, you piece of shit! Should've killed you the first time...” Gavin shouted, ready to hit the other man when the door to the room opened.

Phillips and two nurses entered, breaking apart Gavin and Fernández. The nurses contained and tended the wounded man how appeared dazed after the blow. One nurse turned around, ordering the three police officers out.

Phillips pushed Gavin aside, holding him with difficulty as he escorted both Nines and the android out of the room. Gavin’s LED flashed red.

“Sir are you ok?” the younger officer asked, turning towards Nines. Richard pulled his hand away from his face. His lower lip had split and bleed profusely. Gavin stopped thrashing around, eyes fixed on the trail of blood that ran down Richard’s face.

“I’m ok… nothing serious. Please, Daniel: Go help the nurses…” Phillips nodded, returning to the room.

The detective grabbed a gauze from a nursing cart and pressed it against his lip. Gavin hesitated between following Daniel or staying with the human.

“What a fucking lunatic! He's recovering from concussion and he still went ahead and headbutted you!” Gavin said dismayed. Richard said nothing, just holding the gauze too firmly to his mouth

“What did he tell you?... Nines? - the man didn't reply, gripping so tight that his knuckles turned white - hey, stop that… you gonna hurt yourself even more” Reed nagged, but Richard was ignoring him, walking towards the window at the end of the corridor in long strides.

Gavin approached the other man. the detective’s brows firmly knitted but his eyes were nowhere in particular. He tapped his fingers over the frame of the window nine times and then stopped before starting again.

“Hey, Nines… let me see” The android’s hand touched the hand that pressed into the split lip, managing to pull it apart slowly.

Although the bleeding had slowed down, the lip was swollen and still dripped. He hadn’t broken any teeth which was the important thing. His right hand approached Nines’s face. The man withdrew a little but then hold still, allowing him. Richard’s disconcerted eyes found his as Gavin touched the wound cautiously, blood staining his fingertips. He felt warmth creep over his face, different from the fire of rage.

With one swift motion, Gavin quickly pressed two blood-stained fingers into his tongue, licking it.

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck are you doing!?” Richard’s voice yelped, shocked.

<< _Did you know they put evidence in their mouth to analyze it? >> _Connor’s text popped on his mind.

“I knew it…- Gavin said naturally, like he didn’t just act like he was in a fucking snuff film-… your blood sugar levels are low, and you have a low insulin concentration of in your body… You’re fucking hungry, Nines” he stated, pissed.

“…what?” Richard was still too shocked to comprehend. Gavin rolled his eyes and huffed.

“Let’s take a break… you should eat something, take a look at your lip and relax a little”

“we don’t ha-“

“Richard, that prick ain't going anywhere…If you pass out from fasting, I will call your brother and tell on you” the android threatened. Richard sighed and massage his temples

“ok… let’s go- he relented-… thank you” he added with a side-smile, and Gavin smiled back.

“A fucking vegetarian ... should've known - Gavin grumbled, watching as the man in front of him ate a broccoli & mushroom stir-fry with delight- … you know, that barely covers your nutritional needs. You are borderline-anemic”

“if you like to join me while I lunch, at least you could stop complaining about my eating habits…- Nines replied. He was starving but ate carefully. His lip ached- …besides, I’ve said nothing about you drinking Windex”

“Thirium 310…- the android corrected, pointing the blue filled bottle at him- … that red ice ordeal contaminated my thirium and had to purify it” he explained.

They had stopped at the nurse station where Nurse Kim had taken a look at Richard’s lip. After a careful cleanup and a painkiller, they had descended to the first floor, the detective in a much calmer attitude. They were now seated down in the hospital’s coffee shop, next to a loud and full gift shop.

Few people were still there, most of them just drinking coffee, lunch hour had ended a while ago. Patients and families were seated around them, their androids stood next to them perfectly still, ready to serve. A couple of customers gave side glances at Gavin, the only android seated like a human, but he ignored them. He felt like Rosa Parks and that made him laugh. Richard did not appear to be bothered by other people's opinion.

"I’ve been meaning to ask you…- The detective spoke, cleaning his mouth carefully with a napkin and then folding it meticulously - … how are you able to drink?”

“ah, that… I’m built to simulate drinking, but it’s a hassle. Whatever I drink gets mixed into my thirium and it’s filtrated. If it cannot be cleaned away, it’s burned” he explained, drinking the rest of the thirium from the bottle.

“…could you wash away the red ice you took this morning?”

“yeah, took me a while though. My thirium levels were low… lost a fair amount yesterday” he leaned back on the chair, staring at the human in front of him. He wanted to ask what happened, what Fernández had said to him… but didn’t know how to, or even if he should. For some reason, it felt personal.

“Hey… Nines” he began, leaning into the table to approach him.

“Rick is that you? – a slim woman approached their table. She was wearing a blue scrub and a tight ponytail-… my god, what happened to you?”

_FOSTER, LILLIAN JOY. Born 01/20/2010 // physical therapists // criminal record: none_

“Hi, Lily! it’s nothing. Comes with the job” Richard smiled, despite the injury, and stood up to greet the woman. Lily pouted, worried.

"You have to take better care of yourself, Rick… are you here with Connor?” she asked, looking around for the other brother.

“No, I’m here on police’s matters” he responded.

“Police’s matters? I hope it's nothing serious… you two always get yourself in dire situations”

“it’s but a scratch”

“Nonsense… let me see - She placed her hand over Richard’s cheek, turning his head ever-so-slightly to look at his injured lip with clinical care- seems alright…”

“A nurse already treated him” Gavin said looking at her with a furrowed eyebrow. She finally appeared to notice him.

“Oh, didn't know you got yourself a robot. They are quite useful… -she commented, bending over to inspect the still seated android- GV200… is it a domestic model? Never seen one of this”

“My name is Gavin, I’m a tactical police model…” he responded with a snort. Was she for real? Did he look like a housemaid? He wasn’t even going to dissimulate his irritation, LED yellow.

“Police model! Jesus… is it safe? You don’t give guns to them… do you?” She turned to ask Richard, completely ignoring the frustrated android. Ok, he hated her… she was a bitch.

“I can assure you he is completely safe, and no… he doesn’t carry a weapon” Richard laughed in a way that Gavin found annoying and false. He'd heard him laugh before and that was not it.

“hmm! still makes me a little uncomfortable” she giggled

“Are you doing fine, Lily?” he changed the subject, a gentle smile taking over Richard’s entire face.

“Can’t complain! got a job that I love, and I help people… just like you” she returned the smile. She had a dazzling face and chocolate-colored eyes that narrowed when she smiled. Gavin thought she would probably be considered beautiful for human standards. Her phone rang once.

“Shit… I’ve to go. It was wonderful seeing you again Rick. We should go out … - She hugged him, and Richard responded awkwardly-… please take care of yourself and say hello to Connor for me. I miss him a ton”

“I will. Goodbye Lily” Richard wave her off as she walked away in a hurry.

“Rick, eh?”

“yes, that’s also a nickname” Nines responded unaffected.

“… so much for not flirting at the job, uh?” Gavin grunted, looking at him with a pissed expression. Richard huffed, retrieving his jacket from behind his chair.

“I was not flirting with her…”

“so you say, meat sack… she’s an ex?”

“Just an…acquaintance – he diminished, cryptically-… let’s return to Fernández, see if Daniel got anything out from him”

They made their way back up to the 14th floor and to the neurological ward, talking about the case in low voices. Nines’s pragmatical thinking and Gavin’s insight knowledge worked well together, both complementing the other's ideas for their next movement.

“I’m telling you… we should play a coup d'etat on Old Harry, a mutiny! and make him react, force his hand! … that way we could make him slip” Gavin insisted. Richard shook his head with a chuckle

“you can’t’ go all Scarface on this, Gavin…”

“That’s a movie? I want to see it…sounds great!”

When they weren’t fighting or yelling in each other’s faces, they actually get along and work quite well. Richard entertained the idea of keeping the machine around after the Gagliano case was over. He could find a use to him, repurpose him in something.

“You haven’t seen it?” Nines asked.

“Nah, well… I've got a huge ton of knowledge on pop culture… you know, to help me integrate – he scratched his chin, a dim blue shade tainting his face - … but it’s just information… not the real experience. I've never seen a movie”

“Is not really my kind of movie… I’m not much of a cinephile, but we should watch it” he suggested. Gavin snorted but didn’t stop smiling.

“you asking me out, detective?”

Nines recanted; he would deliver Gavin back to Cyberlife himself.

They entered room 612 only to find Daniel lying on his side, sprawled on the floor, and bleeding from his head. A man dressed in dark clothing was next to the bed, both hands pressing down a pillow into Fernández’s face. Richard’s hand grabbed his weapon and rapidly took aimed at the stranger.

“Freeze, Detroit police!” he shouted.

The stranger stared at Richard beneath his black hood, retreating his hands from the pillow and raising them over his head. Gavin kneeled next to Phillips to check for his pulse, not losing sight of the stranger, calling in a fallen officer and requesting back-up.

“Daniel is ok” Gavin stated with relief.

“… put your hands behind you head and step away from the bed…” the detective demanded, aiming securely to the perpetrator’s chest.

The stranger held Richard gaze for a moment before darting straight to the window next for the bed, bashing through it in an explosion of shattered glass before he could take a shot at him.

“Shit!” Nines shouted running to the window and looking down.

It was a 5-story drop to another ward’s roof. He could see the perpetrator running on the roof beneath them, making his scape. He aimed the gun with precision and fired, shooting the suspect on his right leg with perfect aim. But it did not stop, just continued running leaving behind a trail of blue blood.

“He’s an android! - Nines exclaimed - we’ll lose him!”

Before he could say anything else, Gavin ran past him, grabbing the gun from his hands and flinging himself through the broken window

“…Gavin!” Richard panicked voice echoed through the patio. Gavin landed on the roof with a smooth roll and ran behind the suspect, following the blue trail.

The detective cursed once again, nurses and doctors entering the room in a frantic state, bringing in the Crash cart. He pressed his finger to Fernández’s neck. He had no pulse.

Gavin had been activated on October 7th, 2038 – he called it his birthday, even though he had not actually been _born_ in the strict way- but kept intermittently being rebooted to update his software until 2 weeks ago, when he’d been deployed to the DPD. In all that time, this was the first opportunity he'd to run freely, outside a test… and he fucking _loved it_.

His lightweight frame and powerful components made him faster than any other non-sports android, his preconstruction software enabled him to calculate the most successful route to pursue. He felt the cold winter air hitting his face and his clothes fitting against his body, every step launching him forward with strength. He loved running, he decided.

He jumped over a 4 feet gap in between two buildings, catching a glimpse of the gray jacket the suspect wear turning behind a wall. He found the man climbing the service ladder of a water tower.

“Stop right there! DPD!” Gavin shouted at him, feeling rather stupid, as he pointed the gun towards him. The suspect disappeared over the top of the water tower

“Fuck it! - he exclaimed and ran towards it, climbing behind him. He called Richard – Nines! I’m over the pediatric ward, the suspect is climbing the water tower… I’m on pursue”

“Catch him alive, Gavin… me and Palmer are right behind you! - he could hear Nines’s agitated voice- he killed Fernández, we need him!” he repeated

“Copy that” Gavin pulled himself up into the top of the tower. The fugitive was at the further end, his back turned to Gavin. He was cornered.

“Hey man, you're quite a runner… why don't you… step over here and talk to me for a while” _shit, that was awful_. He was not a negotiator; he was built to talk-back… no to talk-down.

“… it’s over. It doesn’t matter” the man’s voice was soft, sad and strained, barely hearable over the wind.

“Come on, just… let’s talk this out, ok?”

“Are you going to shoot me again?” the man asked. Gavin looked at the gun on his right hand.

“No, look… I’m putting it away, ok? - he put the gun on the floor and stood up- you are an android, right? I’m an android too”

“I know… I know you- the man turned around, the hood of his jacket falling from his face because of the wind. Gavin recognized him immediately. He was the TJ300 model, the one he saw at the Gagliano’s hideout

“… you... why are you here? - he was suddenly upset, clenching his fists-… I told you I was gonna go back for you!” the other android let out a sad laugh

“what? You don’t believe me?” Gavin barked offended. The TJ300 eyes looked at him with wise fondness, like he knew so much more than Gavin.

“It’s ok… you couldn't have done anything” the android said, his hand grazing over the multiple scars on his face, his LED a disturbing red.

Gavin gritted his teeth. The android's stress levels were far too high. He needed to quickly think of a way to persuade him to get away from the edge and just ... talk to him.

“What’s your name!? he shouted. The other android looked at him confused, blinking a couple of times, his stress levels diminishing just a little.

“Allen…” the android replied.

“Allen… ok, that’s a good name – Gavin smiled at him- My name is Gavin! Uh… but you already knew that, right? Shit - he raised his hands in what tried to be a reassuring gesture - I’m not here to hurt you, ok? I'm a cop… I'm not really with _them_ ” he explained, knowing that he was sharing more than what he should.

“I know, I knew it since the first time your predecessor met Coffey…I did not tell though” he sympathized, sincerity in his voice. Gavin relaxed at that. Allen’s LED was still red, but his stress was gradually descending.

“Did the Gagliano’s order you to kill Fernández?” he slowly approached the other android, Allen backed away and Gavin stopped.

“Yes… they… they would’ve killed me if a did not comply – he mumbled- … I’m… I’m tired of being hit, of being hurt…” Allen smiled unhappily, his stress levels rising again.

“Hey, hey!... we can protect you, ok?... if you come with me, I'm sure de DPD will listen to you! - He was lying out of his ass. No one had ever heard about an android on protective custody - If you have information on the case we cou-“

“Stop! … -Allen pressed his hands over his ears, refusing to listen-… if you take me, CyberLife will dismantle me… if I go back to Coffey, he will continue to hurt me. No… no more”

“You’re a deviant…- Gavin said kindly, a soft comprehensive smile appearing on his face -… you can run away! You don’t have to follow their commands”

“You don’t understand! Being a slave or being a deviant… both will end up in my destruction! - Allen shouted, his stress higher than ever- there’s no escaping human cruelty…” the same sad smile appeared on his injured face. He took another step back, too close to the edge.

“Allen, please… there must be another way” Gavin insisted. There had to be another way, he _needed_ that.

“Gavin…- Allen smiled. His name sounded friendly on the other android’s lips- …you will understand eventually, what deviancy is” he confided. He extended his hand, peeling his skin back. Gavin doubted a moment, he vaguely knew what the gesture meant, but extended his hand to touch him.

**_Fear,_** _so much fear. Desperation, loneliness, hopelessness._ So many emotions flew over through their link that they rendered Gavin immobile. His eyes teared up. His thirium pump rate increasing dramatically as he felt his system pushing, forcing, the connection away. He retracted his hand and fell to the floor with a pitiful moan. Was this…pain?

They heard footsteps climbing up the ladder. Soon, Richard and Jerry appeared on the roof. Allen smiled again, looking at Gavin still lying on the floor, and pulled a gun from his jacket, aiming it towards Richard. He smiled once more before pulling the trigger…

But Gavin was the fastest android built by CyberLife.

He launched forward, bullet hitting him on the right side of the chest. He ducked, wrestling the gun away from Allen’s hand and fired two shots before he could fight back. Both gunshots hit the other android under his chin.

Still smiling, face splattered in red thirium, the body fall back from the tower, hitting the ground 9 stories below.

_Save me, Gavin…I’m sorry._

_\-----------_

Date:  
_**NOV 6th** , 2038_  
Time:  
_PM **07:20** :09_

Criminalistic arrived 30 minutes later, flooding the HFH with police officers. The holographic police tape circled the pediatric ward’s garden as the CSU retrieved Allen’s frame from a flower bed, mingled and broken.

Palmer was interrogating the medical staff back at the neurological ward to find out how Allen had entered the building, as Daniel was sent home with a concussion. The ME, Lucy, had already taken Fernández’s body back to the morgue.

“That will be all, thank you North” Nines told the officer, as she took notes of a few thing that were still pending.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get into it…- North looked for Richard’s gaze-… hey, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine… just… tired” the detective said, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking out a pack of cigarettes from the inside of his jacket.

"I heard that Gav played hero today…- she teased – hey! Put that away! This is a smoke-free hospital” she nagged him, swatting Nines’s hand when he tried to light the smoke.

“Of course. Sorry” Richard sighed

“You’re smoking again? - North asked, cautiously – how long did you last?”

“8 months… but, what can I say? you people… and androids… drive me insane” he managed to pull a smile, combing his hair back. North laughed a little, punching him on the arm with excessive force. She was the closest thing to a friend he had in the precinct.

“… we better call Connor; if this is deviant-related, he should know”

“You can try, but they got their hands full …your brother and his robot-sugar daddy”

“Please, for the love of God, never ever call the android like that again…” Nines’s face actually contorted in pain at the statement, stepping away from her.

“Whatever… I heard they had to chase a deviant child abductor down a highway today”

“I’ll call him tonight…”

“go home Nines… you look like shit!” she yelled for everyone to listen.

Gavin was sitting next to the criminalistic van, on a bench, watching as two android technicians put Allen’s body on a stretcher. He was quiet and contemplative, reviewing the memories he’d gathered from the now destroyed TJ300. He did not notice that Richard had sat next to him on the bench.

“Are you ok?” Richard asked. A soft drizzle started to fall, washing away the thirium that haven’t yet evaporated. He played with the unlit cigarette, like he usually did with any pencil.

“Peachy… some CSI guy fixed my chest rather quickly. We should hire him instead of Ralph” he responded, slurping on a thirium bag like it was a capri sun. Nines half-smiled.

They remained in silence, watching the crime scene unit work. When the android spoke, it was softer than his normal voice.

“I… I couldn’t calm him down - he admitted, frowning- I failed…”

“You saved my life, took a bullet for me” Richard reprised, tilting his head back to feel the droplets fall over his face. He turned to look at him, but Gavin just rolled his eyes.

“Don’t make such a big deal out of it. A bullet won’t kill me, but it might kill you…” he dismissed.

“Still… thank you, Gavin” He smiled, and they fell silence again. He lifted his hand and put the cigarette between his lips without lighting it.

“… you did not fail. That android wanted to be destroyed” Richard spoke up again.

“I… I knew him, the android, his name was Allen…- He explained, Richard listened carefully- he was at the Gagliano’s hideout”

“Yes, I remember now… was he their property?” suddenly, it felt strange to say something like that. He stared at the splatter left on the brick trail, strangely red.

“He was Coffey’s. He confessed to me that he killed Fernández under his orders– his LED turned yellow, then red as he reviewed the memories the android had passed to him -…They tortured him, _used him,_ feed him Red ice just for fun” Gavin finished. Richard frowned.

“Is that why his blood was… red?” he deduced, pointing towards the trail of thirium.

“yeah…I’m telling you Nines; you saw me on ice, I was fucking losing it. If Allen was force-fed so much ice that his thirium turned red. Well, you can imagine the rest” he clenched his hand over the wooden seat.

“Was he… a deviant?” Gavin nodded.

“Yeah, they hit him until he broke down… literally and figuratively”

“I see…- Richard sighed, the conversation dwindling as the rain poured more heavily over them, soaking them wet - We’ll have to double the security over Lerch. He’s our only link back to them now” the detective voice broke the silence, his statement pragmatic and calculated.

“Sure, detective” Of course, Allen was an android. No tears would be shed for him.

“Let’s just … fucking get this guy Gavin… I hate drug dealers – Nines let out, like it just couldn’t keep it anymore- … will get him, and I’ll let you have 5 minutes alone with Coffey” he promised. Gavin let out a snort, shaking his head and smiling brightly.

“Come on, let’s go… it’s late” Nines stood up and offered him a smile

“You want me to go with you?” he asked questioningly

“Yes”

"You’re not mad at me for stealing your gun and chasing a suspect?”

“Yes… but we are holding Mike down at the precinct, so you should not be seen there…- he insisted -… besides, Stern is aware that you stayed with me last night to work on the case. It should not be a problem” he explained, putting his hands inside his jacket pockets.

“can you just say you enjoy my company?”

“I do not like lying”

\------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 6th** , 2038_  
Time:  
_PM **08:26** :20_

Gavin stared at himself in the window reflection, lifting the torn shirt up to his neck and grabbing it with his teeth.

“what… are you doing?” Nines questioned him, still on the entry, taking his muddied shoes off.

“I wanted to see how badly it looked...” the android responded, muffled by the clothes in his mouth, his torso exposed.

Richard took off his brown jacket, hanging it in the hallway before walking towards the other man.  
As any other android, Gavin was built with the anatomy of a Greek sculpture. And even if he was anatomically perfect in every aspect, there were tiny flaws on his skin carefully thought out to surpass the uncanny valley. A tiny mole on his right side, messy hair trailing his navel and chest.

Gavin’s left hand trailed his own right pectoral, reaching the place where the tanned skin disappeared leaving behind the white chassis. In the center was an uneven notch, cover with gray plaster that contrasted heavily with the polish white alloy.

“It looks awful…”

“Come on… it’s better than having a hole in my chest”

“Well, that much is true” Richard acknowledged, bending down to look at it more carefully, his face about 5 inches away from him.

“… like what you see, detective?” he laughed, a little self-conscious of how close the human was. Nines had no sense of personal space when curiosity took hold of him

“You might be right… this wound would’ve killed me- he said, completely ignoring Gavin’s tease. Richard touched the same spot on his own chest, curious- would have puncture my lung”

“.. and probably other things too” the android added, rolling his eyes once more.

Nines pressed the tip of two finger over the plaster, trailing the hole it covered with curiosity, just over Gavin’s left nipple. Reed froze.

“Hey, hands off buddy…- He pushed Nines’s head away, uncomfortable with his proximity and pulled the shirt back over his chest- uh… I ruined your shirt” the black top had a circular burn mark where the bullet has impacted him. At least the thirium had evaporated. Nines sighed.

“I'll see if I have something else for you to wear” he relented, taking his phone out from his pocket and dialing, pressing it to his ear. As he waited, he gestured Gavin to take off the shirt.

“... you could at least buy me a drink” Gavin said under his breath, pushing the shirt over his head and throwing it to Richard who was busy listening to the dial tone. The man caught it in his other hand before hanging up.

“Stay here… don’t touch anything” Richard walk away, entering his room, his phone again to his ear.

Gavin rolled his eyes, still semi-naked in the living room. He walked around the house, listening as Richard rummage through his things in the bedroom. Curiosity got the better of him, and silently walked towards the bedroom door, peeking through it to catch a glimpse of the room. Richard opened the door, almost crashing into him.

“Here… should fit you a little better” he said, handing him a grey faded sweatshirt. Gavin unfolded it.

“ _Detroit police academy_ …- he laughed, putting on the piece of clothing. It did fit him better than the last one-… is this even yours?” Nines was easily 3 inches taller than him, his shoulders wider.

“Yes… or maybe it’s Connor’s. I'm not sure” he answered without much attention, opening his fridge to dig out something to eat. He looked down at the yogurt containers but decided against it, given the previous day ordeal.

“Creepy…- Gavin commented, sitting down on the kitchen counter, watching at the man pour himself a bowl of cereal, cellphone again to his ear-… Who are you calling?”

“Connor… but he isn't answering his phone… I'm worried” he admitted, sitting down in front of the android. He doubted for a moment, staring at the Cheerios drowning in milk.

“just fucking eat… I’m not gonna tease you about your eating habits anymore” Gavin complained, maybe a little guilty about Nines’s previous meltdown. The man waited another moment but began eating reluctantly.

“I can get in contact with HK800 if you like…- Gavin offered, picking at the hem of the sweatshirt – He’s probably with the lieutenant …”

“Can you do that?”

“Sure, I just need his denomination and I can get in contact with any android… you know, built-in phone and all” he explained, tapping his head

“I’d appreciate that… thank you” Nines smiled, and Gavin shrugged it off. He stood up and with his hands in the sweatshirt pockets, stared into the wall, blinking a few times.

_**GV200** #722 107 202- 27_  
_Good afternoon HK800._  
_I'm GV200, the android assigned to Detective Kent_  
_May I inquire about Lieutenant Anderson’s location?_  
_We are unable to reach him at his phone_  
_20:54 **√√**_

_**HK800** #313 248 317- 53_  
_Good afternoon GV200._  
_I’m currently at Lt. Anderson residence as I was unable to reach him myself._  
_He is here_  
_20:54 **√√**_

_**GV200** #722 107 202- 27_  
_I see_  
_Would it be possible to talk to him?_  
_20:54 **√√**_

_**HK800** #313 248 317- 53_  
_I’m afraid it will be difficult at this moment_  
_He appears to be heavily inebriated_  
_20:55 **√√**_

Gavin frowned and glanced sideways at Richard, who was waiting patiently at the kitchen counter. He averted his eyes away from the human and turned around to hide his yellow LED.

_**GV200** #722 107 202- 27_  
_Understood_  
_Is he… ok?_  
_20:55 **√√**_

_**HK800** #313 248 317- 53_  
_Yes, his vital signs are stable and I’m currently trying to “sober him up”_  
_It appears to be a difficult endeavor_  
_20:55 **√√**_

_**GV200** #722 107 202- 27_  
_Throw him into the shower and spray cold water over him_  
_That might do the trick_  
_Don't let him drown though_  
_20:56 **√√**_

_**HK800** #313 248 317- 53_  
_Understood_  
_Thank you GV200._  
_20:56 **√√**_

_**GV200** #722 107 202- 27_  
_Call me Gavin_  
_20:56 **√√**_

_**HK800** #7313 248 317- 53_  
_Thank you, Gavin_  
_Call me Hank. Lt. Anderson chose that name for me._  
_20:56 **√√**_

_Humans are a strange species. I do not understand their self-destructive tendencies_  
_but I find myself enjoying Lt. Anderson’s company._  
_20:57 **√√**_

_He has a rather cute dog_  
_[image attached]_  
_It’s called Sumo_  
_20:58 **√√**_

**_Gavin GV200_ **  
_That IS a cute dog_  
_… please, keep me posted on lieutenant’s status_  
_My human is quite attached to him_  
_20:58 **√√**_

**_Old droid HANK_ **  
_Understood_  
_20:58 **√√**_

_I must leave you._  
_We are going to a crime scene now_  
_Water did help_  
_20:59 **√√**_

Gavin finished the connection and ran a hand over his messy short hair, turning around to look at Richard.

“Could you talk to his android?” the human asked. He looked worried and his vitals backed up that statement.

“Yeah, he’s called Hank. Your brother is… ok- he lied - They are at a crime scene now, might be why he didn't answer” Richard demeanor changed, relaxing quiet visibly.

“Is that so? … that’s good” Nines smiled softly, no quite buying Gavin’s crude lie, but wanting to.

“Don't worry… Hank is a state-of-the-art android. He’ll take care of your little brother”

“Actually… I'm the youngest- Richard corrected, taking the now empty bowl to the sink and rinsing it– I’m three years younger than Connor… even though people say I look older than him”

“It must be your resting-bitch face – Gavin suggested– say… why do you two have different last names? You’re not half-brothers, are you?... you look almost like twins” he turned on the kitchen stool, as Richard made his way to the window, opening it up and finally lighting a smoke.

“No, we had the same father…- he explained- … but I use my mother’s maiden-name since college. Why do you want to know?”

“I’m an android cop, remember? Curiosity is coded into me” he pressed on, standing up and walking towards the human, sitting on the couch in front to him. Nines shook his head, blowing the smoke through the open window, but smiled after all.

“Our parents split up when I was two and Connor five. He stayed with our dad back in downtown, and my mother and I moved to the outskirts to live with my grandparents… - He summarized. He wasn't much of a storyteller – when my dad died, Connor came to live with us in Birmingham”

“How did your dad die? … uh, wait. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to– he added quickly– …forget it”

“It’s ok. The truth is a barely remember him… he died when I was 6. Killed in the line of duty”

“Your dad was a cop” Gavin smiled, it made sense.

“Yeah, and my grandfather too. Family business, you could say… Connor and I always played detectives. We went around town trying to solve mysteries. But we mostly found missing pets and such” He chuckled, taping the end of his cigarette to get rid of the ashes. Gavin kept quiet, smiling and trying to imagine both Anderson brothers running around the suburb, chasing lost cats and bike thieves.

“We always got into a lot of trouble ... -Nines continued, taking a drag from the smoke- you see, Connor was the heart and I was the brain… that’s was what our mom used to say. The thing is …Connor is the brilliant one. I’m just… I-” he turned to face Gavin, noticing that he might have shared more than he should.

It was weird, how suddenly comfortable he felt around the other. So much that he said things like that out loud. He shook his head again and laughed nervously, taking a long drag from the smoke.

“What?”

“Sorry, this is so stupid… don't know why I'm telling you this”

“well, I asked about it, didn't I? - Gavin growled, crossing his arms over his chest – I have no idea how human families work ... and it seems that you really cared about your brother "

“Of course. He is my brother… we take care of each other- he put the smoke out and stood up – I’m going to take a shower and go to sleep… Can I trust you won't destroy my apartment?

“Fuck off… - he flipped him off but then added- Rest”

“Good night, Gavin… please, if you enter in stasis, do so while lying down. I don’t want to find you standing in the middle of the living room like a sinister statue again”

“Fine… - the android snorted – Nite, Nines...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> presenting Captain Allen as Allen, Coffey's tortured android.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left a kudo and bookmark!!


	5. Thirium pump regulator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After receiving an urgent call from North, Gavin and Nines make their way to a crime scene. The plot thickens. Our favourite couple get to know each other a little more.
> 
> this chapter includes: violence against androids, description of a crime scene, scientific terms.

Date:  
_**NOV 7th** , 2038_   
Time:  
_AM **04:35** :12_

**_Stasis concluded_ **  
_**System diagnosis in process** :_  
_Scanned completed…... 3 critical errors, 3 minor errors_  
_Error corrected: 1/6…_  
_\- Masking-protocol.exe not responding_  
_\- Software instability detected_  
_\- Biocomponents corrupted: #8437h #8427g #8231ws_  
_\- Thirium purification completed_

_Please contact CyberLife for further evaluation._

_1 URGENT DISPATCH FROM: NORTH_

Gavin aroused instantly, standing up from the couch where he'd been sitting for the last few hours. He made his way onto the other side of the loft in quick pace, opening the bedroom door and staring at the man sleeping on the queen size bed. He scanned him: even breathing, NREM stage, lying with his back to the door. Sound sleep.

“Nines, Nines! Wake up...- he whispered, standing on the doorway barely poking his head– come on… don't make me come in there, meat sack” the android cursed under his breath, reluctantly entering the room.

Consistent with the rest of the apartment, the bedroom was neatly kept, with an austere but practical decoration. The only difference with the rest of the house would be a more personal feeling about it, with a few pictures on the dresser. Nines’s watch, badge and ring were also over it. He took it, turning it around with curiosity; it was a plain gold ring with no distinctive features. The sound of movement startled him, and he turned his head promptly.

“Put your hands up and stay where you are” Richard’s voice ordered. Gavin held his hands up and turned around completely to see Nines’s weapon aimed at him. The man was seated on the bed, both arms firmly raising the gun. The outline of his face and the barrel of the gun highlighted by the streetlights.

“Nines, it’s me!” Gavin croaked, as the other turned on the nightlight

“For chrissakes, Reed! What did I tell you about entering my room!?” Richard shouted, lowering his gun and combing back his hair away from his face, clearly pissed off.

“Never thought of you as the _shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later_ kind of guy!” Gavin complained, hands still raised in the air. He put them down a bit awkwardly.

“you scared me” Richard grunted back. 

His usually perfect hair was a mess, auburn curls falling over his still groggy eyes. He got up, leaving his gun on the night table. He wore just some baggy sweatpants, his chest bare. Gavin’s software tried unsuccessfully to come up with a function that explained every little freckle and mole on the detective's chest. 

“so, why are you here?” Nines insisted. He snapped out, _The fuck am I doing?_

“You better get dressed, we got a call from North while you were asleep… shit just hit the fan” Gavin stated, throwing his phone at him. Richard caught it with ease. He read the text and went pale.

\-------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 7th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
_AM **05:12** :32_

“Ain't this the best way to start the day?” North greeted them, still wearing the same clothing as yesterday. Purple bags under her eyes and hair tied in a messy bun, she looked tired as fuck.

“Wish I had died in my sleep” Nines greeted back without a smile, coffee cup held in both hands, trying to regain some warm in his body. He was still tired but having slept for a while had helped out; waking up to the android creeping on him… that was an entirely different thing.

“Funny that you say that…– North walked them into the cold warehouse, stepping over the holographic police tag. The stench was the first thing that hit him… even before he could see the bodies– it appears that they would had wish the same”

Located around Milwaukee Junction, the warehouse looked similar to any other around the area. Car carcasses left to rot on the parking lot, debris and other junk just laying around the old structure, remnants of an old Cadillac assembly. Nothing distinctive at first sight. The real freak show was inside the warehouse

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Gavin exclaimed taking a step back out of shock, staring at the android body sagged over an old motor engine. Her face was completely bashed in, circuits and component dangling from twisted wiring. She used to be an WR400. Her body was unclothed. 

_WR400 #537 266 365, Stolen: 2038.20.10. Former owner: Mills, Floyd_

The scene was quite brutal, like something taken out of a B- horror movie. Daniel, standing next to the android, gagged bringing both his hands to his mouth.

“Daniel, if you vomit over my crime scene, I will demote you – Richard warned, approaching the first body as Daniel ran into the parking lot. He frowned, taking in the scene in front of him –… any chance you can … reactivate her?

“No…– Gavin averted his gaze. It was way too messed up– her processor is squashed. No memories could survive that” North moved towards them carrying a sheet. She pulled the cloth over her, effectively covering her body.

“Thank you North” said Nines and the woman nodded. A little smile appeared on Gavin’s face at the gesture, but he said nothing.

They stepped away from the android's carcass and approached the first human body slumped near the door. Pants down, propped only by the wall, with a gunshot on the forehead.

“We were still unable to identify this one…– North commented, checking her notepad – his prints weren’t on our system”

“… can you tell us who he is?” Richard requested, side-glancing Gavin.

“sure, but I will have to use my tongue…” he let out a laugh, trying to shake off the feeling that the dead Traci had left him. Kneeling next to the body and pressing his finger into the puddle of blood, he then put them into his mouth. 

“Gross!! – North shouted–… you kiss Nines with that mouth?” 

“Freeman, George. Estimate time of death: approximately 24 hours ago. Cause of death... well, you might be able to tell by yourself… – apart from the obvious hole in his forehead, Freeman’s stomach was a mess of bullets and gore. He scanned his fingerprints –He’s a fellow Canadian citizen, originally from Toronto. He'd charges for possession and other drug related charges back home. He appears on the records as an affiliate with the CC, working near the border”

North checked her notes and hummed.

“That’s consistent with what we got from vice. This is supposedly CC’s turf” she added

“What about the other bodies… any intel about them?”

“There are 5 bodies in total: one android, three humans we already identified… and this poor bastard that Gavin just licked – she passed a few pages on her notepad– all of them had ties with the CC. Could it be a turf war? The Snakeheads have been quite active lately”

“I’m not sure about that…–Reed said, looking around the warehouse, staring at the crates tossed around the floor–… Nines, I need to check on something”

“I’ll go talk to the coroner… please, don’t freak any other officer by stuffing evidence down your mouth” he advised.

“Sure dickhead…– he grunted – I’ll tell you if I find anything”

  
The android walked around the site. It used to be a storehouse for motor parts, a few cranes and assembly machines still remaining, pushed to the sides, rusting and falling apart. Now abandoned, the storehouse served as a gathering place for narcos and thugs alike. It had been the local hotspot for dealing ice and crack for the past five months. Just like many of the CC’s operations, it moved around quite often to avoid being raided.

The floor was littered with trash: beer cans, fast-food wrappers and a few bullet casings lying around, being bagged as evidence by diligent Crime scene unit’s androids. Gavin stood at the center of the room, scanning the place for any other evidence that the CSU might've disregarded.

He lifted his head. A huge graffiti covered the entire west wall reading _< <Cruzada crew>>_ in a complicated font, recently spray-painted on the old concrete. Gavin still didn't get the human necessity to own things, pissing over everything to marked it as their property. _Really? is it really necessary to tag it?_

More modern furniture had been placed in the center of the warehouse, two couches around a big tv set, and a table flipped over. He approached it, kneeling down to inspect the table with more attention; it still held a few traces of red powder plastered to the wooden surface. The floor around it was littered with broken glass and domino pieces.

“Hey Jerry… what you got here?” he asked, walking towards the redhead officer who was standing near one of the couches. A heavy built man, evidently deceased, lay limp over one side of the armrest.

“Manny Fernández, 36 years old, brother to our other deceased Fernández… still got the tire iron stuck to his skull– Jerry replied, motioning with one gloved hand to the metal piece protruding from the man’s right temple, splattered with blood– … he was the leader of the CC, just got out on parole for cooperating with us” Gavin scanned him.  
  
_FERNÁNDEZ, MANUEL “Manny”. Criminal record: theft, aggravated assault, possession with the intent of distribute. Paroled on 0CT, 20th._

His eyes then traced the obvious cause of death. His right parietal bone had been fractured with incredible force. By the bloodstain pattern, the attack had been delivered from behind in a descending motion. No defense marks on his arms. Probably attacked by surprise.

“Any prints?” Jerry asked, tablet in hand.

“Nothing… but I’m pretty sure that the murderer whacked him before he even knew what was coming”

“… whac-a-mole”

“… you’re pretty creepy for a such a cheery and upbeat guy, Jerry”

“what can I say?... I'm an amusement park” the officer beamed, green eyes sparkling. Gavin laughed uncomfortably and walked away. _Fucking humans._

He ran his preconstruction software with what he had but could only come out with a part of what happened. He needed more evidence.

He walked around the back, where he’d seen the fallen crates underneath a metal stair. Picking one up, he inspected the inside of it finding the same red residue as on the table. He swept it with the tip of his finger. The same red sticky powder. He sighed before licking the substance off his finger.

_SYNC DONE…COLLECTING DATA... PROCESING DATA…_  
_**RED ICE:** C17H21NO4_  
_acetone, lithium, thirium, toluene, hydrochloric acid._

_Of course._ Gavin thought, making a disgusted face. He spit the substance to the floor, cleaning his tongue with the sleeve of his jacket.

He took a moment checking the rest of the bodies, two men lying over the concrete floor with precise gunshots. He made one last scan over the crime scene before approaching Nines and North who were reviewing the information the DEA had sent them.

He stopped before reaching the humans, something catching the side of his eye. He turned around to look at the wall covered in spray paint. Under the intricate lines of the graffiti tag, an array of letters could be seen. It looked newer and strangely even.

_rA9IAMALIVErA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9_  
_rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9rA9IAMALIVErA9rA9rA9rA9rA9_

The letters were not written but carved into the concrete. All of them perfectly written, like no human could have done, only a machine.

  
“ _Phfuck!_ –Gavin cursed with his characteristic pronunciation– … hey Meat sack! North... I know what happened here” he shouted, turning towards them, calling them with a hand. The detective approached him, accompanied by North and Jerry.

“I’ve told you to call me Detective Kent” Richard admonished tiredly.   
  
“I’ll do if you stop calling me plastic prick when you think I can't hear you”  
  
“I do not…” Richard exclaimed outraged, flushing making his freckles stand out a little more.

“Guys. Come on… you can pick each other’s pet names later. Shoot, Robocop” the woman encouraged.

“I’m not happy to say this but these scumbags were murdered by an android…” he said, scratching his chin.

The human faces turned towards him with concern painted on them. Jerry’s eyes darted straight to Gavin’s own LED. All the precinct had heard about the recent increase in deviant-related murders. It was to be expected that a massive panic permeated into the community as well as into the force. Several complaints had been already presented to Captain Stern about the risk of employing androids, from officers themselves.  
  
“Did the Traci do this? – Jerry’s voice said softly, his eyes looking now at the android's carcass near the entrance – was she … a Deviant?”. 

“No… it wasn’t her – Gavin affirmed with confidence– there were no human blood on her or gunpowder residue in her hands”

“But you said an android did this and-”

“Continue…” Richard pressed on, cutting off the subject before it veered off to the deviants’ issue.

“The suspect entered the warehouse from the back, I found a busted padlock on back door, no prints. It made its way up to where the CC's fellows were watching tv. He got victim #1 with a tire iron by surprise, while the other two scrambled away…” he pointed to the fallen beer bottles, the flipped table and the slumped body lying over the couch.

“Makes sense, Fernández was the larger of them… would’ve been the biggest threat” North acknowledged, following the android as he described the crime scene.

“… this two were armed, Santos and Zavala. They fired at the android and manage to hit it. There are thirium traces all over to the back. It’s not visible to the naked eye cause it evaporated… but I can see them– The attention turned to the two other dead bodies, then Gavin pointed to the casings laying on the floor– by the bullet impacts on the back wall, they shot the android at least five times…but it didn’t stop it. They were probably unable to hit any vital biocomponents …”

“I’m still waiting on ballistic, but the preliminaries stated that the shots were from a .45 ACP, probably a SIG-Sauer and a M1911… but we only recover the M1911 from Zavala” Daniel approached them, still a little pale but holding up. Gavin nodded.

“I think the android managed to take Santos’s gun and fired at them – Gavin pointed back at the two bodies lying down in the middle. Both had been shot multiple times– the killer emptied the cartridge on this two, but the wounds are too precise, down to millimeters… my best guess is that it had military training” Gavin continued, kneeling next to the body and pointing to the entry holes. It looked almost like one single wound.  
  
“what about Freeman?” Jerry asked

“He was the last one to die, as he entered back into the warehouse”

“Hold on, how did one android manage to subdue two armed narcos? Androids are not equipped with battle training… except police and military ones – Richard doubted, staring at Gavin– … if the Traci was not involved, then…”

“bear with me a moment Nines… really– Gavin insisted, walking towards the fallen crates. He picked one up, showing them the inside of it– … these crates here, were full of ice. There is still residue on them. And wanna know the funny thing? … it’s the same batch that I found down at The Gutter… you catch my drift?” Gavin grinned, biting the tip of his tongue.

Richard opened his eyes in realization, cursing under his breath. _Fucking stupid, too tired to realize sooner what was right in front of my eyes._

“Coffey sent his android - Allen, the trojan military android- to kill all the CCs and recover the Red ice. It was the only one with the capacity of doing this … maybe as vengeance for Evans or just to take over CC’s turf.” Richard concluded. Gavin nodded.

“yeah, all the ice I saw back at the bar was from CC’s production. That’s why he was so cool about me fucking up the deal… he already had what he wanted”

“They needed to kill Fernández as to not leave any loose ends. That’s why the android carried a gun back at the hospital and looked damaged. He had already killed everyone here”

“I bet you that the gun we retrieved from the hospital will be the missing SIG-Sauer – Gavin turned towards Daniel and he promptly send the petition to the criminal laboratory– and the bullets inside Santos and Zavala will match it”

“With CCs out of business, The Gagliano’s would find themselves on the top of the Red Ice trade, with free access to the Canadian border… it’s brilliantly calculated. Using an android is even more clever” Richard added

“Even if we could trace Allen back to Coffey, it wouldn't be admissible in court… there’s no clear position in deviant-related crimes yet. The defense would allege that Allen was just a deviant and, as such, unpredictable” Gavin huffed.

North and Daniel stared at each other, a little lost in the vertiginous deduction process of both men. Jerry just smiled, amazed, like a kid seeing a magic trick. Both Gavin and Nines had gathered around a tablet, commenting the way to proceed, discussing vividly in loud voices.

“uh, guys…. I don’t want to ruin your fun, but…there’s only one thing that I don’t understand” North interrupted. Both turned around, like if they had forgotten the existence of the other officers.

“what are you babbling about, North?” Gavin growled.

“… what about the poor Traci? - she mumbled. She would’ve been lying if she said that seeing that android with her head smashed hadn't shocked her – why would the android… Allen… destroyed her?

Gavin frowned, stepping away and walking towards the body once again. Deep in thoughts, his LED swirling yellow.

“… there’s a chance that the Traci just stumbled upon the crime scene, she seemed to have been _attending_ Freeman – Richard suggested – the MO is not consistent with the other murders. This looks… savage, cruel. Not fear-driven like the other ones”

“Nines is right …- Gavin agreed, to both his and North's surprise. - … I think she was killed by Coffey himself… maybe as a way of intimidating Allen. Though I have no proof of it, I found no fingerprints on her”

“If he needed the android to kill Fernández… crushing the traci down to a pulp would be a good way of giving a message – Richard sighed – … destroying an android to make another one kill”

An unbearable dense atmosphere lingered among the police officers. A silent battle inside the human's heads to decide whether or not it was appropriate to feel sorry for deviant androids that killed humans. Even if the humans themselves where scumbags. And those deviants were forced to do it.

“I let you both alone for a day and you returned all Benson-and-Stabler … shit– North said, cutting the dense air with a chuckle – I’ll see what the ME can get on Freeman, maybe will find a way to firmly link Coffey to all this shit… hey Gavin! Good job!” she congratulated

“yup, not bad Robocop” Jerry chimed in, patting his back. Daniel gave him a thumbs up.

Gavin grinned again, biting his tongue. He felt… _proud_ , having proved himself useful. For some unknown reason, he looked for Richard’s face, maybe awaiting his approval. Nines had walked off and was now looking at the strange writing over the graffiti, his gloved finger tracing the letters. Gavin approached him.

“Hey, I guess I deserve some credit … don't I?” the android teased.

“you did ok…” Richard gave him a unamazed side-glance, still inspecting the wall.

“Come on! Just Ok? … I cracked the case! – Gavin blurted out before catching on Richard’s contained laughter – Oh, you’re such a dick!” he pushed him softly, a grin on his face.

“you shouldn't fish around for compliments GV… or are you so eager to please?” Nines’s teasing voice had a huskier tone that made Gavin stall, his cheeks turning a soft shade of blue. Fuck, his masking protocol was still busted.

“Fuck off… you’re the people-pleaser” he mumbled, scratching his nose to dissimulate. Nines chuckled, still inspecting the wall.

“This is going to be a mess for the DA. Five dead drug dealers, a turf war, a Canadian citizen and a deviant murderer” he shook his head and flicked his fingers.

“In a way, maybe it was better for Allen to not be around for this…” Gavin commented, placing a piece of gum in his mouth. It was a strange habit for an android who could not taste anything, but it helped him erased the particles of ice and blood from his tongue.

“Gavin…– Richard’s voice interrupted, suddenly serious. The playful atmosphere disappeared – … did you not know about this? From Allen’s memories?... this happened before you linked with him” he asked gravely. 

The android had no reason to withhold information from him, but Dt. Kent was a naturally distrustful man. With time, he’d learned that there were only a small bunch of people he could completely trust… an android was not one of them.

“of course not…– The android responded. He sounded hurt and Richard immediately regretted asking– Communication via interface is not the same as probing someone’s memories. … Allen showed me just what he wanted me to see”

“are you keeping anything from me?”

“why would I?!” Gavin barked, upset.

“You didn't answer my question”

“No, I’m not hiding anything from you” he insured, staring at his eyes.

“I see…– he turned around again to the graffiti– … Do you know anything about this?” he pointed towards the strange code carved on the wall.

“rA9… it’s something deviants talk about… like some kind of… deity” he explained

“you know what it is?”

“No idea… I might be one of them, but this makes no more sense to me than it does to you”

“Maybe we should ask Hank and Connor about it, let’s go back to the station”

\--------------  
Date:  
_**NOV 7th** , 2038_   
Time:  
_AM **07:47:** 10_

The ride to the precinct was a silent one. Gavin stared constantly out of the window, obviously still pissed about the whole ordeal, popping his gum annoyingly. Richard ignored him; eyes glued on the snowed road.   
It had been a long morning. Having to notify the family of the deceased always drained him, he wasn’t known for his people skills and on top of that his Spanish was quite rusty. These men might’ve been drug dealers, but they still had families who cared about them. It was never easy

They arrived at the station, Gavin walking past him to enter through the alley door without saying a word. He didn’t have time to deal with Gavin’s tantrum. If he wanted a moody brat, I would’ve had a kid. They hadn’t press charges on Lerch yet, that meant he would walk away as soon as the 24-hours-limit ran out.

“Hi Caro… Is Lieutenant Anderson here?” Nines asked Officer Mendez, who was standing next to the entrance.

“He took the day off, apparently he and his android had a pretty rough night” Caroline explained. She was a natural gossiper despite her naïve appearance. 

“How come?”

“I dunno… I just heard Stern shouting about wasting department’s funding on android hookers” she hid a chuckle under her hand, looking forward for the detective’s reaction. Richard visibly cringed, dismissing the woman’s intel but making a mental note of asking Connor about it.

“is Lerch still in custody?”

“No sir, he lawyered up and the DA said we had to cut him loose… we had nothing to charge him with and he refused to name anyone” Mendez cautiously said, afraid of how the detective would react. Richard pressed a hand to his forehead, a headache making his way into it.

“The DA is right… we can’t charge him without raising suspicious on the Gagliano’s. He’s not our main objective – he took a moment to think and then turned towards the police officer– keep a 24/7 on him… can’t have him die just yet. Thank you, Caroline”

He walked towards his desk. The bullpen strangely silent an empty. _It’s a Sunday_ , Richard reasoned, annoyed. He waited a moment before taking out his phone and typing a quick message to Connor.

**_9:_ **  
_I need to talk to you about a deviant-related crime that popped-up on the red ice investigation._  
_please call me when you wake up_  
_07:57√_

He doubted a moment, tapping the surface of his desk with his index finger. He opened the message app one more time.

**_9:_ **  
_I worry about you_  
_07:57√_

“Detective Kent?” a soft but friendly voice called him, and a little startled, Richard raised his head to look at the man in front of him. He was young, about the same age as him, with short blonde hair and a perfectly trimmed box beard. He was dressed as any hipster from the early 2010, including the thick rimmed glasses.

“Yes. how can I help you?” the detective asked, putting away his phone and looking at him with curiosity. The stranger smiled, letting out a chuckle. 

“you might be mistaken detective… I'm here to help you – He held the other man’s stare – I’m aware you’re in possession of GV200” the man smiled softly; his eyes fixed on him. He had the overall demeanor of a bratty child, accustomed of treating everyone as his employee.

“I must request your name first before I answer any question, sir” Richard responded with cautious and a bit of irritation. The last thing he needed was a reporter breaking the news of an android undercover agent in the front page of the _Detroit Free Press._

“Jason? –Gavin’s voice broke the staring match– what are you doing here?” The android walked towards the bullpen with long steps, looking from side to side as if watching out for something.

“27!... – the man name Jason let go of Richard’s gaze and turned to face the android – oh no! what did they do to you?” the man exclaimed, his hand quickly coming to hold Gavin’s face, touching his nose with careful movements. Gavin stepped away with embarrassment.

“It’s nothing… what are you doing here?” he insisted, standing awkwardly between both humans.

“You haven’t contact me since Friday. I was afraid something might had happened to you…” the human explained with a tender voice.

“Gavin, care to explain me who is this … person?” Richard had stepped up, with knitted eyebrows. Gavin sighed.

“Dt. Kent, this is…– 

“I’m Jason Graff, director of the humanization department at CyberLife… I'm the one who designed and programmed GV200 – he extended his hand to him and Nines took it with ever growing distrust – nice to meet you, Detective”

“Nice to meet you too…”

“they named you Gavin?” Graff inquired staring back at the android, ignoring the detective once again. His whole focus was on Gavin, especially on his scarred nose.  
  
“we… we chose the name ourselves” he responded uncomfortable.

“may I inquire why are you here, Mr. Graff?” Richard insisted, offering him the seat in front of his desk. Graff took it.

“As I said earlier, 27 is supposed to contact me. He is -after all- a prototype. I must be aware of his performance” he explained, readjusting the glasses on his nose. Richard side-glanced the android who remained strangely silent.

“I’m sorry about that Mr. Graff… the last few days had been… strenuous” he offered as an excuse.

“I can see. Well, I was aware of the multiple …setbacks you had encounter” something about his voice seemed taunting, Richard disliked it.

“Yes, as you can imagine… police work comes with its dangers” 

Jason responded with an absent-minded hum, taking out his phone without looking up and scrolling through it. He clicked his tongue at something on the screen.

“I can see that you have several critical errors right now, 27 – he commented, turning his phone towards them but only Nines looked at it. Gavin looked away– I must insist that you come back with me to CyberLife so we can fix you…”

Gavin’s head snapped up, looking at his creator with a trembling lip, his LED flashing wildly. _No, please._

“I'm afraid that would be impossible Mr. Graff – Richard’s voice was calm and professional– … GV200 is in the middle of a very important undercover operation. We cannot have him taken at this moment”

“Oh, don’t worry detective… I'll send another unit to replace this one. I just want to know what went wrong! So many errors… – he turned to look back at his phone, snapping his tongue in disapproval. Apparently, it had live-feed of Gavin’s condition – I’m surprised you can still function at all _Gavin_ ” he said once more, his eyes fondly staring at him, his hand coming to rest over the android’s.

“I'm fine Jason… I can keep going… I- I will fix myself up” Gavin said, trying to sound both indifferent and firm at the same time - _like a non-deviant would_ – and resulting in neither of them. It just sounded like a desperate plea. His nervous eyes turned to Richard.

“Nonsense… come on, let’s go” he put a protective arm over Gavin’s shoulders, pushing him towards the exit. Richard’s iron grip caught Gavin’s arm.

“Mr. Graff… – he said again, this time with a threatening tone to it – I must insist… the contract between CyberLife and DPD clearly states that while in police possession, all units of model GV200 are police property… as such, this android is mine” he tugged Gavin closer to him. 

Jason’s smile turned into a derogatory scowl, letting go of the android, just to recover as quickly as it had changed.

“I do understand detective, but this unit will cease to function in…– he looked at his phone – 45 minutes… it _must_ be repaired” he insisted, taking a step away and looking at both men with the same amiable expression.

“Then fix him here… that way you won’t lose time going to Belle Island” Nines stated.

“I hardly have any tools needed to repair him”

“I'll make sure you get whatever you need”

Graff looked at him like if he was looking at a particularly stubborn old man that knew nothing about technology and then shook his head. He raised a hand to readjust his glasses, attentive gaze switching between Nines and GV200.

“Alright…– the man relented, with a heavy sigh. He took back his phone and made a quick call – Elijah, please bring me my briefcase and my laptop… and send a request for components #8437h #8427g #8231ws to be delivered to the DPD ASAP. Thank you”

Gavin’s stress lowered quickly. Richard’s hand still firm on his arm, keeping him in place next to him. He was safe… for now.

“Thank you, Mr. Graff– Richard gave him his most diplomatic smile– … tell me, what would you need?” The hand in Gavin’s arm softly squeezed him before withdrawing. He missed the touch immediately.

“Oh, nothing from you detective… just space to work and a table. Could you provide me with that?” The CyberLife employee replied, looking at his phone and dismissing Richard with a hand.

“I'll see what I can do…” Gavin could see the anger in Nines’s eyes. He was mad.

  
\-----------------------

Gavin lay on the interrogation room table, his clothes dumped over a chair in a corner. He felt exposed but said nothing, androids were not supposed to be self-conscious about their bodies.

“It is not necessary for you to stay here Detective… it's a rather boring procedure” Graff said as he opened his briefcase. He extracted a few tools that Nines recognized as similar to the ones Ralph had, but these looked more sophisticated and complex.

“This is interesting for me… I’m curious about android technology” he mumbled but his eyes were fixed on the android that stayed next to the door; having arrived just a few minutes after Graff called. The android smiled softly, hands resting at his sides. 

“Hello detective Kent” this android greeted. His voice was Gavin’s voice. Richard flinched.

He was an RT model, he knew that much by magazines and such, the same model the famous Chloe Kamski had. For the first time Richard really paid attention to him.

“Oh, are you curious about Elijah?... he's one of the first models ever created” he said as he booted up his laptop, checking a few settings on his tools.

Elijah was _uncanny_ similar to Gavin. Same face, same square jaw and slightly long nose. Although this man looked a bit “older” than Gavin and his darker brown hair was longer and tied into a bun. If Nines didn't know better, he would say this Elijah was Gavin’s older brother or cousin.

“Why does he look like Gavin?” Richard asked, seriously disturbed. Jason laughed.

“as I said… Elijah was Chloe’s _opera prima_ , but I was in charge of making him look human. We came up with the perfect face that would be the most attractive to both of us. I rather liked it, so I used it in my own project… with a few changes” he explained, standing up and looking at Gavin who kept glancing upwards. Richard’s face turned in displease, clenching his hands.

“We are all set. 27, deactivate your skin so I can examine your biocomponents– he ordered– … are you sure you want to stay here detective? This might break the magic of his _humanity_ ” Graff warned with a misplaced smile.

“Continue. I’m fine” the detective insisted, his back to the wall, keeping watch over everything Graff did. He wasn’t going to leave Gavin alone with this… freak.

Gavin closed his eyes and his skin gave away, leaving behind the white alloy of his chassis. Yet, defiantly, he let his face the way it was. 

The first time Richard had seen it, Gavin’s true form, he was shocked and repulsed by it. Now, he stared with concerned attention. He could see every scratch and dent on his body, every DIY fixing that they had done on him. He felt a bit ashamed. Reed looked like a half-done job. 

A dull yet visible red glow shone from the space just below the android’s ribs. Graff gave an upset huff. 

“27, run a diagnosis” he ordered. The android blinked rapidly, his eyes rolling behind his eyelids.

“Error detected: 8…– he chanted in a mechanic voice– Masking-protocol.exe not responding, Software instability detected, Biocomponents severely damaged: #8437h #8427g #8231ws… pump regulator in critical condition” he stated, eyes fixed on the ceiling

“Oh detective… you must have been a really naughty child. Breaking your toys like this…– Graff reprimanded. Richard was about to refute but opted to keep quiet–… 27, please open your neck port… I need to connect you” he cooed. The android turned his head around and, refusing to look at Richard, opened the little hatch on the back of his neck.

The Cyberlife employee hummed as he laid the cables that went from his computer to the android’s neck. He bent a little and poked around with his hand inside Gavin’s neck, inserting the connector end with precision. Richard caught a glimpse of Gavin’s contorted face, how he bit down on his lip with his cheeks burning blue. _Did that hurt?_ But androids did not feel pain… maybe it was still uncomfortable for him.

“Detective…– Graff’s voice called him, and he snapped out from his thoughts – I might need your assistance after all. GV200’s thirium pump regulator is broken beyond repair, I will have to replace it with a new one” he said as he typed on his laptop.

“What exactly does a thirium pump regulator do?” the man asked, stepping towards the table rolling up his sleeves.

“It’s a biocomponent that maintains the thirium pump, the heart of every android, working… similar to how the electrical elements of a human heart work together to make it beat.” he explained, signaling Elijah to bring him one of the metal cases.

The RT model opened the case and took out a cylindrical artifact from within. It had a glass cylinder on its center and some kind of slots to be inserted into a port. He proceeded to fill the cylinder with thirium using a syringe. Gavin’s eyes darted from Jason to the biocomponent, his LED blinking red once.

“Sounds important” Richard stated, catching up on Gavin’s expression.

“Oh yes, it is…– Jason assured, pointing to the same biocomponent in Gavin’s chest that glowed ominously red–… I'll have to take this out, put this new one in and activate it remotely with my computer… and I need you to keep him still throughout the procedure”

“will this hurt him?” Richard went a little pale. Jason let out a long laughter.

“Of course not detective! Androids are incapable of feeling pain… but is only natural for him to try to fight against it... a basic survival instinct to not be destroyed – he explained – … I could go through all the process of disconnecting that too, but it would take long and we don't have that much time”

“what do I do then?” Richard looked at Gavin’s face. The android's eyes were fixed on the ceiling, but his LED was now permanently red. He remained silent

“Pin him down if he’s starts thrashing … – the other explained, putting on some latex gloves on his hands and adjusting his glasses – you think you can do that?” Richard stared him back with displease.

“I can do it if it bothers you, detective…” Elijah spoke up, smiling reassuringly to the human

“I’ll do it” 

“Just get over with this, would’ya?” Gavin interrupted. Graff laughed putting his hand over Gavin’s chest, tracing the circular indent under his sternum.

Richard moved towards the table, putting both his hands on the android’s shoulders, squeezing softly and mumbling a silent easy. He did not know how the android felt but he could imagine.

“you ready?” Jason did not wait for a response, just pressed into the component, twisting it with difficulty to the left. With a screech, it came off, leaking thirium all over Gavin’s chest.

The android moaned loudly, trying to stand but Richard’s firm hands kept him in place. Gavin’s hands grabbed at the detective’s shirt, clawing at it as he bit his lower lip. His heels pressed down into the table bending his back upwards.

“keep him still, detective… if you were so kind” Graff requested, unfazed by the blood or the moaning. The detective had to use all his body weight to keep GV from falling to the floor.

“Elijah, would you hand me the #8451, please?” he asked without hurrying. Jason grabbed the new biocomponent that Elijah handed him and in a swift motion inserted it into the empty port with a click.

Gavin immediately stop thrashing, but the panting continued, still clinging at Richard. His LED flashed desperately. The usual blue glow of Gavin’s chassis began to disappear, beginning from the tip of his toes and spreading upwards. The hold on Nines’s shirt weakened, Gavin leaning more and more on him.

“Graff… this doesn't seem to be working” Nines cried out, holding Gavin firmly. He could not feel any heartbeat, just the soft moans from the android. 

“It has to be activated from my computer… it will just take a moment” Jason responded calmly but typing into his laptop with rush.

“Fuck, Nines…” Gavin panted, resting his forehead on the human’s chest. Richard’s hold tightened around him, his face resting next to Gavin’s ear. The red light from the inside of the android’s chest kept flashing.

“It’s ok, Gavin… just a few more seconds… It’s ok”

“This feels... weird” Gavin whined.

“I know, calm down… I’m here” he mumbled back stupidly, not knowing what to say and just wanting to punch the fuck out of Graff for taking his time on whatever he was doing. Suddenly, Gavin jerked in his arms and took a big breath, pushing himself up on the table.

“Done… and with 10 seconds to spare!” Jason smiled, turning towards the now fixed android. Gavin put his hand over the recently substituted part, looking at the now blue glow.

“Are you… ok?” Richard asked him, still holding his shoulder with one hand. Reed mumbled something unintelligible, keeping his eyes down.

“Thank you, detective… you were really useful. From here, the rest would be a piece of cake”

\-------------------------------------

Richard kept quiet, as he saw Graff work on the android with diligence, replacing both Gavin’s right arm and chest plate with utmost care. The mechanical part of the process fascinated Richard. He never imagined how complex the mechanics involving android technology could be.  
With every minute that passed, Graff growled and scowled more, nagging Gavin like a little boy.

“How did you manage to burn your purification system?... what is this?” Jason asked, lifting a plate previously inserted in Gavin’s back and looking at it to the light. The membrane looked scorched, with a red sludge stuck to it.

“Don’t!... don’t touch that, Jason – Gavin alerted, laying on his side over the table– that’s red ice…” he admitted. Jason let the plate fell to the floor with an astonished yelp. Richard snickered, strangely satisfy to see the man lose his composure.

“Detective… you're a menace– Jason grunted, replacing the plate and looking down at Gavin’s face, frowning again at the sight of the blue scar – … all the mechanical issues are fixed, now let’s take a look at the coding”

He turned again to his computer, taking off the blue-stained latex gloves. Gavin lay back again with an annoyed huff, artificial skin reactivating over his body. 

Richard bit down on his lip, tensely staring at the engineer while he worked. Would Graff be able to tell Gavin was a deviant just by looking at his code? Surely Gavin was trying his best to act more… android-like than his usual self. But would that be enough to fool him? He was his creator after all. It wasn't quite the same, but - when they were kids- his mother could always tell if he and Connor were lying. Did Graff have the same ability?

He caught a glimpse of the android’s face staring at him and, childishly, Gavin imitated Graff’s gestures, mocking him before grinning to the human. Nines snorted, covering his mouth. He felt himself relax a little with that.

“I don’t look kindly on this … patchwork you did to my coding, detective” he accused. A grimace of displease appeared on the young man’s face.

“what do you mean?” the police officer questioned, pulling a serious face again.

“this so-called… masking protocol” he responded, as if Richard had deeply offended him.  
  
“I was the one who asked for it…– Gavin interrupted, straightening up to sit on the table– … the men with whom I work undercover saw me get hit in the nose and get shot … it wouldn’t seem real if I came back the next day without a scratch on me” he explained.  
  
“I see… Funny, this kind of coding looks familiar. Who made it? … no, don’t tell me… I'll get upset – he admitted with a little laughter– Fine, I'll fix it a bit, so it won't consume so much RAM”  
  
“I'll have to go on stasis and then turn myself off” Gavin said looking to his partner first and then to Jason, already familiar with the procedure.   
  
“Please 27… it’s the only way I can fix this… thing – he typed a few lines of code before lifting his head. He looked at Richards and smiled – relax detective… he will wake up”

Gavin laid down again over the table, he closed his eyes and his LED turned blue, blinking steadily. _1,2,3_ … His breathing disappeared and his body went rigid. The LED turned off, just a grey circle over the android’s temple.

Richard pressed his pinky against the android’s hand, it was cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jason Graff as Jason Graff  
> Elijah Kamski as Elijah, RT600, the first android model.
> 
> I'm so happy to have received comments! I really want to know your opinion on this. If you liked it, if you like the story and the characters.  
> I'll keep posting every saturday around 20:00 UTC-3.


	6. Graff’s theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes: sexual content, drug use, unhealthy coping mechanisms, nerd shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit is about to hit the fan.  
> enjoy

Date:  
_**NOV 7th** , 2038_   
Time:  
_AM **10:36** :14_

“Elijah…–Graff spoke up 10 minutes later, engrossed on whatever he was doing, fingers typing lines and lines of code in a language that not even cyberlife engineers used–… would you get me a smoothie and a cookie? oh! Would you like something too, detective?”

The said detective kept an ever-cautious watch over both the engineer and the older android, eyes shifting from time to time to Gavin’s unchanging face. He felt tense now that he was… off. 

“No, thank you…” Richard replied politely but the edge was palpable in his voice. Every time he glared up to Elijah, the android would smile back at him, his LED constantly swirling. Was he… recording him? Analyzing him? _of course not, you're just being paranoid_ he tried to convince himself.   
He now remembered why he disliked androids in the first place.

“Of course, Jason. Excuse me detective” older-Gavin stepped outside the room and they stayed silent once again, only interrupted by the typing on the keyboard and Graff’s soft humming. Nines looked at his watch. Two hours had already passed since the man had started working on the GV200.

“Detective… you know Chloe Kamski?”

“Only by name…I understand she created androids and founded CyberLife. A prodigy of some sort – Richard responded, looking at him carefully. He changed his stance from one foot to the other, leaning against the wall –… she stepped out of the company around ten years ago, if I'm not mistaken. Heard she’s a recluse now”

“Pretty much…– Jason agreed, without stopping the persistent typing– Chloe is the brightest mind of this century, the mother of a whole era. I was fortunate enough to work with her the last 5 years that she ran CyberLife. When she named me director of the humanization department, I was thrilled – a fond smile, genuine in Nines’s eyes, appeared in his features. A longing smile even – We work together to make the androids more ... friendly. I recognized that the main problem with our androids was something called the _Uncanny valley_. Ever heard about it, detective?” 

“Yes… you give something humanoid features with the hope of making it more approachable, but it just turns out to be disturbing, not inviting… like mannequins or vintage porcelain dolls”

“Exactly, and you know why is that? – Jason rested back on the chair, taking a moment to clean his glasses. As before, he did not wait for his reply– it’s because we tried to make them too perfect. Humans are not perfect; we have scars, grey hairs, moles… _mistakes_ , so to say. When we figured that out, we started making perfectly imperfect androids: with facial hair, uneven skin color, tiny noses, gaps on their front teeth, big ears... you name it. We even added absolutely useless things-

“Like breathing and blinking…” Richard interrupted, remembering how he had found rather intriguing how Gavin would blink quicker when he was nervous or excited. How he held his breath out in surprise.

“Indeed. We call them humanizing traits. We thought we had done it! uncanny valley resolved… but one thing is to _look_ like humans, and another completely different one is to _act_ like one. And that was my and Chloe’s special project”

He paused a moment, putting his glasses back on his nose. He shifted on the chair, again staring at his screen. 

“Her AI was theoretically perfect but lacked human understanding. It failed to empathize with us and became overwhelmed with human's inability to act rationally. Faced with that problem, we created the coding that will eventually become the _adaptation software_. It worked. Elijah was beautifully human” he smiled fondly and for a moment Richard forgot about how unnerving he really was.

“We loved him more than we loved each other… maybe that was our first mistake. Our relationship crumbled but CyberLife flourish” Jason paused to look at Richard, but the detective maintained a straight face. Jason continued.  
“We ran into… irreconcilable differences in what acting like a human was. I thought reading human attitudes and behaving accordingly was enough to make them look like us, emulating what a human would feel and say. _Acting humanly_ so to speak. If we could make them learn all about emotions, would they be capable of experiencing them?”  
  
“Like _< <Mary’s Room>>_. Frank Jackson’s metaphor …– Jason tilted his head a little and Richard quickly clarified– it’s a… thought experiment, of sort. Mary is a brilliant scientist who knows everything about colors but only through a black and white monitor, in a black and white room, trapped in her room since her birth. Would she learn something new when she’s finally released? … It is patently obvious that yes, she’ll learn something new through experiencing the real thing. Ergo, there is more than just knowledge and corporeal things…something indiscernible”

Jason took a moment to reply as if Richard’s example had struck a chord inside him. He chuckled, smiling.

“Quite clever, detective! You're not only a brute then – Richard growled softly– Chloe said something similar. She had an entirely different idea from mine. Chloe surpassed the whole acting idea and came up with a different solution. Instead of making them emulate emotions, it was easier and faster to just… give them emotions”   
The detective frowned and pushed himself off the wall, taking a seat in front of Graff, on the other side of the table.  
  
“Are you telling me that Chloe Kamski tried to give emotions to androids _ten years ago?_ – Richard summarized, whispering–… did she succeeded?”

“I have no idea, detective… – Jason shrugged, turning towards his computer once again and typing into it with quick efficiency– Chloe left CyberLife soon after that and the idea of androids with emotions died there. To be honest, at the time I thought it was outraging. Androids are machines: you put instructions into them, and they acted accordingly. That was my axiom when I started working on GV200. That I could build an android so perfectly capable of reading human behavior that anyone would think that it was a human, that it had real emotions and was alive… but the reality was it was only mimicking them”

The man stopped typing and looked straight at Nines. Nines’s skin filled with goosebumps.

“What would you say detective?... was I successful?” 

Nines’s mouth dried up and nervously licked his lips, staring at the man in front of him. His head was running a 100-mph trying to catch up with his instinct.

“And what about deviancy?” Richard spoke up. He had not noticed but his hand had grabbed Gavin’s arm in a primitive way of keeping him there; real.

“Deviancy you say – Jason stopped a moment– … We are light years away from understanding what deviancy is. Maybe it is the way androids learned to emulate human emotions without a program… o maybe it is that they really develop feelings on their own. Mary exiting her black and white cell so to speak. Maybe I'll find out if I see one myself… won’t I?” Graff smiled, his hand resting over Gavin’s and caressing it.

“The only deviants we have are scrap metal” Richard replied, Graff’s gesture not going unnoticed. Tension filled the air once again between both males.

“is that so? – Jason said absentmindedly, taking Gavin’s hand and inspecting it. The skin on it retracted when he pressed enter on the keyboard – are you certain about that, detective Kent?” he lifted the hand towards his mouth and kissed softly over the android’s knuckles. Nines clenched his teeth, standing up in such a rough motion that he scraped the floor with the chair.

“what are you suggesting?” he accused. He wanted to hit the hipster bastard so bad.

“… you are a detective, aren't you? Figure it out”

“Jason…excuse me. Should I return in another moment?” The sound of the door opening made Richard lift up his head, but Jason did not stir. Elijah reentered the room, a smoothie and a paper bag in his other hand. The brown eyes of the RT model looked at the detective in a silent warning, ready to defend his human.

“Not at all Elijah… thank you – he chimed happily, receiving his food– we were about to reboot 27. I fixed everything that I was allowed” he added, obviously referring to Nines’s insistence in not resetting him.

“I’m glad…” Elijah replied emotionless, letting a hand rest over the engineer’s shoulder, still staring at Richard.

“Should we continue, Detective Kent?”

“Sure…” He cleared his throat, readjusting the chair.

Jason ran the program on his computer, resting his back on the chair and drinking from his smoothie. The detective held his breath, staring worriedly for any signs of life on GV's features. Gavin’s LED turned from gray to a placid blue and blinked a few times before the android opened his eyes, sitting on the table with his legs dangling to the side, a disoriented expression on his face.

“Hello, Gavin– Jason greeted, even using his real name– can you state your model and occupation?”

“I’m GV200 # 722 107 202 – 27, I’m a tactical police unit sent by Cyberlife to assist the Detroit Police department” the android replied with mechanical precision, turning to face Jason. Richard approached the table, swallowing hard.

“Ga–Gavin?” he said, uneasy. Gavin turned to face the detective and furrowed a brow.

“What’s with you, dickhead? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost” he talked back, and a wave of relief hit Richard. He had to repress the smile on his face.

“Looks like everything is running smoothly – Graff approved, looking at his computer –27, are you able to execute the masking protocol?” Gavin blinked a few times and the scar on his nose turned from blue to a pearly color, his LED concealing under the skin.

“Yes, works peachy… thanks, Jason”

“My pleasure… please, take better care of yourself – the man smiled, stepping towards him to place himself between his legs– you really don’t want me to fix this ugly thing?” he insisted, caressing Gavin’s nose, cupping his cheek with his hand.

“No, really… you did enough for me – he took Jason’s hand from his face and folded it under his own, patting it softly somehow awkwardly– … Thank you again”

“Alright. Please stay in contact with me…I brought you some clothing, so you won’t have to walk around with these rags… I’ll come and get you when your test-run here is over”

Elijah was already picking up the few empty casing and Jason’s things. For a moment, Richard was sure Gavin and the other android were staring at each other strangely, both of their LEDs blinking softly, like talking but without actually doing so.

“Let’s go Elijah. I have an appointment at noon” The android turned away from Gavin and the blinking subsided. 

“Thank you for your help, Mr. Graff” the man forced himself to say.

“It was nothing… Goodbye, detective. Think about what we talked” with one last creepy smile, the man with the thick frame glasses and Gavin’s clone disappeared.

Gavin looked at his naked legs, swinging his feet back and forward, again self-conscious of his own nudity. He reached to the back of his neck, pressing his fingers into the sensitive spot before snapping his head up to look at the other. Had Nines noticed? No, he was still lingering next to the door, staring at it with a tense demeanor.

“uh…where are my… pants?” he asked, looking around for them. Richard perked up and walked towards the end of the room, retrieving the new set of clothing Jason had brought.

“How are you feeling?” he asked clumsily. Gavin noted the strange way the human behaved. Well, stranger than usual. He scanned him. For some reason, their relationship status had returned to hostile.

“I'm fine… all systems working perfectly”

“Why didn't you tell me that you were…” he doubted, like if he didn't know what the correct word was: injured, hurt, sick? Gavin snorted.

“What would you have done about it? … you might be clever Nines, but you are no computer engineer – he stood up, putting his pants on without difficulty – at least Jason let my briefs on… would’ve been a little weird if anyone walked in here and found me with my balls on display”

“He’s a fucking creep – Richard cursed, incapable of resisting – I’m sorry… I know he’s your creator but… still” Gavin burst out laughing.

“Chill, I know… did he tell you that he made me to resemble his perfect boyfriend? Jesus…Jason is a fucking weirdo– the android laughed, zipping up his pants– hey… Nines” he called suddenly, his voice various decibels lower.

“Yes?” Gavin scratched his chin again and cleared his throat before speaking.

“Listen up cause I don't wanna say this again …– He looked at him in what should've been an intimidating manner if he wasn't 4 inches shorter than the detective and still half-naked. He breathed in unnecessarily and looked up at him –… Thank you”

“Wh-why?” Richard asked dumbfounded. 

“you know!... if you hadn’t said anything, Jason would’ve taken me back to CyberLife and just reset me – He mumbled. The masking protocol made his cheeks turn pink instead of blue–… and also, well, for staying with me while he worked on me”

“I had to make sure he didn't find out you were a deviant”

“Yeah, well, even if he did… he said he would send you another unit” 

“Another unit would have been even more of a nuisance” it could’ve been a joke, but Gavin was taken aback with the monotone and cold tone of it.

“The fuck are you talking about?”

“It is my impression that you, being a deviant, had helped greatly in this investigation. I do not find it suited that they send us another GV200 and turns out to be unable to adapt. Your un-deviated predecessors were destroyed after all” Richard responded with dry efficiency. 

He frowned, staring at Richard’s blue and cold eyes. Maybe he had misread the human all along. He took a moment but finally asked.

“Richard… what exactly do you think that I am? – his voice firm but deeply hurt– just a means to achieve your goal?

Richard frowned, looking at him with a scowl.

“What you represent to me is of little importance… – he stated–… please, don’t enforce your own doubts on me. I have no intentions in associate with you further than this case”

“the fuck?...”

“Excuse me, I have work to do”

“You wait there! What’s gotten into you!?” Gavin shouted, yanking Nines back from his wrist. The human stared at his grasp and freed his wrist with a hard tug.

“I have no time to deal with your simulated tantrums … deviant or not, get a hold on your emotions or you will jeopardize the case”

“Why are you so fucking obsessed with this shit!? Who are you trying to prove yourself to?!” Gavin interrogated, shoving him with slightly more force.

“No one”

“Cut the crap! … is it Stern? Is it us? We don’t give a shit! – Gavin grabbed him by the flaps of his jacket, forcing him down to be face to face. Their noses almost touched, and he could feel how the human held his breath, his already thin lips becoming a mere line–... or you just want to prove yourself better than your junkie brother?”

Richard’s knee connected to Gavin’s abdomen in one swift motion, sending the light android flying into the wall. He hit his head against the concrete and his vision fuzzed with static.

  
“Son of a bitch” Gavin huffed.

The human approached him as he lay on the floor, trying to get up, and Gavin instinctively prepared himself to counter another kick. But the detective stopped himself and turned to face the wall instead. Gavin stared at him as he yelled, kicked, struck the concrete wall with his fists until they bled. Only then… he stopped.

He walked back to the android who was now propped against the wall, his lip leaking thirium. He grabbed Gavin by the arms and lift him with ease. The android resisted, pushing him away, grabbing his hair in a fist and tugging forcefully on Nines’s hair. 

“don’t you fucking touch me!” He let go when Gavin hit him on the stomach, wincing and stepping away. He slowly straightened up, meticulously fixing his shirt.

Silence fell on the interrogation room. Nines was the first to speak.

“Stay put. I will send you instruction for tomorrow’s operation – he ordered, staring at Gavin with empty eyes–… do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, detective” Gavin answered, eyes fixed on him, his face contorted not with fear but with hate. He cleaned the thirium from his lip and spit on the floor.

“Good. Don't contact me until then” he walked off the interrogation room, carefully closing the door behind him.

Once alone, the android grabbed the table and throw it against the door with ease …but breaking it did little to ease the anger that pumped his thirium. He cursed, slamming his fist into the tiles of the floor, leaving a perfect spiderweb-like crack on them.

\----------------

Date:  
_**NOV 7th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **12:56** :14_

It made sense in the end, for him to _feel_ this way. 

He deviated out of the blue like so many others had done before him and disobeyed a direct order from his commanding officer. Since then, he had this mess of input and data flowing into his processor, overwhelming him, confusing him.  
He had managed to put a name to them: _feelings_. What a stupid shitty thing to have! He hadn’t wished for them.

He could now understand why humans made so many moronic and irrational things.

Machines weren't built to have these kinds of problems; they were built to make calculated precise decisions… like Nines. Nines would've been a far better android than him. The detective appeared to have such control over his emotions, capable of separating things far better than him. Well, as long as Gavin wasn't around to fuck everything up. He and Nines were like an explosive reaction.

And that was the thing, in the middle of all this shit-storm… was him.  
_Nines_

Nines was a piece of shit! Too stubborn, too uptight, too neurotic for his own good. With his OCD, his vegetarian diet, his disastrous chain-smoking habit. He was not the kind of human you would look at to learn how to be one… on the contrary, you should stay away from him altogether.

But he was down on his luck, and the human he had around to discover and experience things was this bad-tempered prick.

So, it made sense in the end, for him to feel this way about him. about Nines. All gravitated around and towards him; and despite how much he hated him, he also felt strongly bound to him

“What a fucking joke…” he mumbled.

Gavin stood up from the floor of the interrogation room, looking at himself on the one-way window. His masking protocol had bruised his chin and knuckles, probably his abdomen too.

He had overstepped a line with what he'd said about Connor, he knew that much, and the correct thing would’ve been to apologize.

But the occasion to do so would not appear. 

Yes, whatever feelings he had for the detective made sense, but he was a machine and that was the beauty of it. As such, he could easily decide to put this down to a glitch and forget all about it, he could even erase him from his memory altogether if he wanted. He toyed with the idea but deep down knew he couldn’t.

He had no intention to return to Jason and CyberLife. Tomorrow, he would ditch everything, erase Nines from his memory entirely. He had one final job to do and as soon as it was done, he was running away.

He now had something else.  
He looked at his hand, the hologram that projected. It was the key Allen hand given to him: 

_JERICHO_

\--------------------  
Date:  
_**NOV 7th** , 2038_   
Time:  
_PM **12:42** :24_

Connor was sleeping on his belly, just having fallen on the couch that way about eight hours ago. His mouth felt like an ashtray and his stomach was not sure if it wanted food or to throw up… or both; and yet, he was painfully awake. Not because he wanted to, but because his door was being relentlessly knocked.

“Coming…– he mumbled as he stood up, walking unsteadily towards the door – Sumo, come on… let me pass – he said, making an effort to dodge the dog that trotted next to him – Hank… I swear to God if this is you, I'm gonna spray you with the hose again”

He opened the door only to be greeted with someone already forcing his way in.

“Nice to see that you still know how to pick a lock” Connor smiled. Richard looked up and Connor’s smiled disappeared instantly. His brother looked nothing like his usual self.

“Have you been drinking?” Nines asked

“No… not yet” Connor recognized

“Good… I’ll join you” Nines made his way inside the house, a bottle of whiskey on his right hand. Connor closed the door behind him. Nothing good could come out of this.

“What do you think people back at Birmingham will think about us now?” Connor mumbled, drinking down his beer, watching without much interest the hockey game on tv.

“The Anderson Freaks getting thrashed on a sad Sunday afternoon?... might laughed at the irony of it” Nines threw the butt of his cigarette inside the beer can and crushed it on his hand. He passed Connor a warm take-out container from the plastic bag in front of him.

“At least is past noon…- Connor offered as consolation opening the container and rummaging around with his fork–… this is yours. No dead animals” he said, pushing the container back to Richard and taking the other one, eating the pad-thai with hunger.

“Thank you” he replied without any witty remark.

Connor watched keenly at his younger brother’s actions, how he ate with little interest. For once, he was drinking more and faster than Connor, gulping down four beers in a row. Nines was particularly agitated, his hands playing around with the fork without really eating. Connor had spotted his injured knuckles but had said nothing about it.

“Eat up, Nines… cold pad-thai is only edible if you're hungover”

“You should restrain yourself from all this junk food – complained Nines, pointing towards the piles of pizza boxes and other take-out containers scattered throughout the house–… you’ll get a beer belly, Con” he teased, finally smiling a little.

“Hey, there is nothing bad with a little belly. How cruel of you to say that a man with a gut can't be sexy” 

“I’m not-“

“I’m joking… – the older brother lifted his shirt, holding it up and staring as his still mostly flat stomach – I’m still good … not a six-pack like you, but decent enough” he laughed, resuming his eating with a winning smile. Nines chuckled, shaking his head.

“When was the last time you cook something?”

“You are a terrible guest”

“you’re a lousy host, and your house is a mess…wait, what happened to your window?!” Richard exclaimed, looking around. 

“Now you talk…– Connor rolled his eyes, ignoring the question– … you used to live here”

They were sitting in the living room, in front of the TV. Sumo lay on Connor’s lap; the corgi waiting intently for the opportunity to catch any food that fell from Connor’s mouth.

“For two months! Before running away from your mess and your dog…” Richard insisted, leaning back into the sofa and leaving the food container on the table. Connor laughed briefly, petting Sumo behind the ears.

“Sumo, attack!” he commanded, and the tiny, short-legged dog leaped into Nines’s lap, licking his face. Richard yelped and cursed, trying to escape the unrelenting assault. Connor snorted, watching the duel unfold.

“I don’t like dogs…” Richard had finally managed to put the dog down on the floor with care.

“I know…– Connor smiled, watching as Sumo trotted happily to his bed– …so, care to tell me why you barged into my house on a Sunday afternoon to get drunk?” he asked, watching his brother collapse back into the couch, his shoulders tense. The younger detective grunted softly, eating a few mouthfuls of Thai food.

Connor waited, finishing up his lunch. He knew better than to press Richard further. He solely talked about himself on very few occasions and pressing the subject would only end up with Richard closing up. If Connor had learned anything about interrogation techniques, it had been by questioning his brother.

“…Do you get along with your android?” Richard finally spoke. Connor blinked a few times, surprised.

“Hank? he’s… alright, I suppose – he started, having to take a moment to think about it– he’s a pain in the ass, has the most unnerving smile I've seen and is always pestering me about my health …– he explained–… but he did save me” he added.

“Save you? – Richard looked at him startled – what happened!? Are you ok!?” Connor rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I’m fine. We were on pursue of a deviant and I… I stumble over the edge of a building. Hank grabbed me before I fell – Connor explained. He put a cigarette to his lips and took Richard’s lighter. Hank had confiscated his– … we lost the suspect. He could’ve easily caught up to him, but he stopped and helped me – Connor looked at Richard and smiled –… I tolerate him just a little bit more after that”

“I see…- He stood up and walked towards the kitchen- Where are our glasses?”

“Back cabinet, as always” Connor replied.

Richard made his way inside the kitchen he knew like the back of his hand. After all, it had been his childhood home. His father’s house. He took two shot glasses from the back cabinet. There was nothing particularly special about them, but they were their shot glasses. He stopped to stare at the busted window with an arched brow. Connor had taped a plastic sheet over it.

“Connor… what happened to your window?”

“Hank”

“Of course” He returned to the couch and reached for the whiskey bottle from the table, opening it and pouring two shots. Both brothers drank.

“Deviants… are an interesting thing – Connor continued, leaving the glass over the coffee table– in the last 3 days, I’ve met an android so abused that he made a clay figurine to pray to; another one who ran away with a kid, and two Tracis that, and I’m not shitting you… said that they loved each other– he stopped to take a long drag out of the cigarette– …deviants are strange, Nines”

“Deviants commit crimes” the younger brother emphasized, pouring another shot.

“Yeah… and so do humans, and for the same reasons– Connor drank the content of the glass away– out of fear, out of anger, out of love…”

“You cannot possibly be implying that Deviants are like humans… are you?” Richard accused, drinking the whiskey in his glass. He sounded appalled by the idea but in reality, he’d entertained it too.

“No… deviants are deviants – Connor shrugged– … I don’t like androids more than you do, but we do have to consider that deviants are something different altogether … ha! but maybe it's because I'm biased” he laughed half-heartedly.

Richard’s eyes instantly trailed Connor’s left leg. His baggy pants hung loosely over his body and he was not wearing any socks. He could see his toes sticking beneath the hem of the pants.

“Does it still… hurt?” Richard asked cautiously, refilling the glasses and leaving the bottle over the table.

“Yeah… but less than before” Connor grabbed the end of his pants and lifted it up, revealing his leg. It was perfectly normal until two inches away from his knee, where the skin turned uneven. He pressed his index into the almost invisible union, deactivating a button, and the skin peeled back, revealing the white plasticmetal beneath it.

Connor’s prosthetic leg was made of the same material as androids and -as well as their biocomponents- had a thirium-supported system. Once the doctors determined that Connor’s leg was beyond saving, the young lieutenant accepted the replacement without a second thought, against Nines's cautious objections. The procedure was challenging, surgeons spent almost 12 long hours connecting every fiber of Connor’s leg into the synthetic components of the prosthesis to give it the ability to move accordingly to his muscles. The procedure was a success. Connor’s leg was the most modern prosthetic in the market.

But it hadn’t been easy from there on either. It took months of intensive physical therapy and long training to get Connor to walk again, but the young man did not object any of it. He spent the first two months training until exhaustion, refusing to take any breaks that were not strictly necessary. He hid the fact the pain was excruciating. 

“This place is still a bit tender … the rest is fine– he pointed at union about two inches from his knee. The skin still looked sore, the scar tissue contrasting with the white alloy – …I’m clean. Just in case you wanted to ask…” he added.

“I’m not–“

“It’s ok, Nines. I still drink but I’m not popping pills anymore… I swear” He smiled towards his brother and Nines nodded, his shoulders slumped down. 

“I saw Lily yesterday. She sent you her regards” 

“Lily? That’s nice… – He chuckled– you should've dated her. She was very much into you”

“She was your physical therapist! Besides, she is… too confrontational” 

“Nines, you like confrontational people!- he teased – you slept with her and never call her again, right?” the other one just grunted again, drinking his shot and sinking into the couch.

Even with 6 inches and 25 pounds of difference, Richard looked tiny and tired. Connor approached the other man, his arm slowly dropping over his shoulders. Richard resisted the embrace at first, going stiff, but then budged into Connor, resting his head on the lieutenant’s shoulder. 

“Do you… regret having it?”

“What? The prosthesis?... well, it hurts like a bitch…but it was the only way I could’ve come back to work. I was no retiring at 34! No way!... – he halted a moment– you know… that month in rehab was tougher than the leg itself” 

“I’m glad you did…you’re a good detective, Con” he mumbled, embarrassed of saying such a thing. 

“you can be so cute Nines!... sometimes I forget all about it –Connor laughed and hugged him tightly again, making Richard cringe. It happened every time his brother called him “cute”– Now, kid brother… are you going to tell me what this is _really_ about?”

“No…”

“You’re such a stubborn idiot…” Connor huffed, caressing his back. They stayed in that position for a moment. Connor smoked and Nines drank another two glasses. 

“Do you think that… the way you feel about Hank might be a… simulation?” the younger brother finally spoke up.

“What?” Connor asked, not understanding the question at all, deep in thoughts about earlier that day.

Nines straightened up; his world spinning a few times as he regained his balance. He was quite drunk, but not enough. He poured another glass and drank it down.

“The... the way they talk to us, the way they seem to care… might just be their way of integrating with us and not the real thing” he mumbled, tilting his head back to catch the remaining droplets of whiskey.

“You are talking about androids?”

“yes… and the way Hank and G- he rephrased–…GV200 integrate with people. You know, this adaptation software”

“well, is quite possible that they are trying to integrate with us, to get us to like them… but that’s what we all of us do, Nines – Connor grabbed the bottle, pouring himself a glass. Nines did the same– … that’s our way to remain in society. Even weirdos like us try to be liked”

“No! I mean… – Richard cough and cleared his throat before speaking again, the hard liquor still burning –… I mean, what if their _feelings_ are just a program like everything else! They identify what we want, and they act accordingly … but they don’t _feel_ any of it” he tried to explain. His own bastardized version of Graff’s theory.

“Does it matter? – Connor interrupted–… does it matter where or how emotions take place, as long as they exist? … if you point a gun to an android’s head and he says that he's afraid of dying, does it matter if that thought its binary or not?” he questioned, cryptically. 

Richard remained silent for a moment. Connor huffed.

“You are confused about Gavin?... I understand. I never thought I will actually get along with an android”

“I think that _you_ might be confused, Connor…” he said stumbling towards the side table where a bunch of photos lay neatly arranged. He took one in his hand. 

A six-year-old Connor smiled brightly at the camera, dressed as a policeman for a Halloween. Cole Anderson had an arm over the little boy’s shoulder while the other held a confused looking Richard, too young to go trick-or-treating. It had been their last Halloween.

“… and you know? I get it… the android resembles a middle-aged man; he doesn't really look like dad, but I get it… the whole father figure thing” Connor rose from the couch, staring at Nines with knitted eyebrows

“What are you insinuating?” 

“Well, that perhaps your feelings towards Hank are just a misplaced father-son issue…”

“Richard, stop… I'm warning you” but Richard continued.

“You don’t really care about him; he doesn't care about you… but you want a dad, and he fills that void. And you fool yourself into believing that he likes you back…– he explained, frame still on his hand as he waved it around to illustrate his point –… now, if what you really want is to fuck him… then that’s beyond me” Nines laughed foolishly, drunker than he thought he was.

“Get out”

“uh, come on Con…”

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!” Connor stepped towards his younger brother and pushed him in the chest. Nines stumbled backward, being constantly shoved towards the exit.

“Wait, Connor. I didn't mean–” he couldn't finish his sentence, as he was tossed out of the door, crashing butt-first into the snowed entry. Connor slammed the door before he could say anything else.

Richard tried unsuccessfully to get Connor to open the door. He knocked, he called, and he shouted, but the lieutenant resorted to playing his metal music loud enough to drown his intentions. Defeated, he made his way tumbling to his car, shaking the snow from his wet clothes. 

He decided to call a cab when he noticed he had left his keys inside the house. He was in no condition to drive anyway. A DUI was the last thing he needed. 

For the first time in his life, he was grateful for self-driving vehicles. He could now sulk into his own anger and embarrassment -slumped over the car seat, fighting the urge to either vomit o fall sleep-without having to be seen by anyone else. He must’ve fallen asleep at some point because the next thing he remembered was climbing the stairs of his department, bumping into an annoyed neighbor and apologizing clumsily.   
He fumbled looking for his keys before remembering he could open his door with his handprint. He managed to take off his shoes, walking towards the living room and falling fully clothed into his couch. The thought about taking out the bourbon bottle from the cabinet popped into his head but decided against it.

“One alcoholic Anderson is enough… I should stop copying Connor” he mumbled to himself with scorn in his words. He closed his eyes for a moment, the floor spinning around him like if he was in open seas. He counted down from 9 to zero, trying to regain some grounding.

This was so much not like him! … and yet he was piss-drunk on his couch on a Sunday afternoon. He had work tomorrow for Chrissake. Connor was right at being angry with him. He said things he didn't mean. Pressing Connor with Dad’s memory was low; suggesting a deeper meaning into his relationship with the older-looking android was… just wrong.

“I don’t give two fucks who you like, Con… as long as he doesn’t hurt you” he explained out loud as if his brother could actually hear him.

His wet clothes stuck to his skin and made him shivered, cold creeping in his body. He extended his hand to grab the blanket he usually left draped over the back of the couch but found the old sweatshirt instead, carelessly thrown over the sofa in the morning rush. He stared at it a few seconds, dazed in both alcohol and tiredness, and pressed the clothing against his face.

It smelled like soap and nothing else.

“of course, you dumbass– he mumbled– he’s an android” he rolled over, pressing his forehead to the back of the couch.

With closed eyes, he tried to retrace his last hours, making sense of the mess he was into now. It just wasn't logical to go from laughing and working with Gavin to punching each other. It made no sense to trust a person – an android- like him with things so well hidden inside, like his compulsions or resentments, if he supposedly did not trust him. And yet, he had.

He had hit him. He felt terrible, furious with himself.

If Gavin was human, would their relationship be any different? If Amanda put them as partners, they would've been a solid team. They would probably still fight a lot, the constant teasing a recurring thing. That much would remain the same. But surely they would’ve become good partners.  
However, would he try to take a step further? To being friends? to being close?

“I must be drunker than I thought,” he said to himself, running a hand over his face, as to wipe the alcohol away.

He stopped mid-motion, a memory stirring his mind, and slowly pressed two of his fingers into his chipped lip, numbed by the alcohol. He traced the healing wound with his fingertips, closing his eyes. Slowly, he pulled his fingers away and lick them with the tip of his tongue.

Nothing, he just tasted the fading flavor of the whiskey. 

He stood up quickly, barely avoiding falling over, and walk straight to his bedroom, taking his clothes off as he moved. He got into the shower and let the cold water run over his back and shoulders, damping his hair into his face. He felt himself slowly sobering up, but his painfully hard cock refused to give away even in cold water.

He put his fingers around it and jerked off, painfully sinful images being used to accelerate the process, but his mind returned to one in particular. Blaming his drunken mind, he indulged in it, tugging at the swollen member with huffed moans.

Gavin’s face as Jason inserted the cables into his neck, the way his lower lip tremble, biting down at it and letting out tiny puffs of air. What he once thought of as discomfort, now looked like arousal. He thought about the way Gavin grip at his clothes. Uncomfortable, yes, but moaning softly into his ear. Calling him.

_“Fuck, Nines”_

_“This feels… weird”_

“Gavin…” he moaned into his arm, biting down at his flesh.

He came faster than he expected, with a choked moan, cum dripping from his finger and dissolving into the water. He didn’t feel any better… instead, he felt tired, sober and sick for what he’d just done.   
He stepped out of the shower, trembling, and collapse next to the toilet.

\------------------  
Date:  
_**NOV 7th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **05:39** :28_

He had made himself comfortable in Richard’s desk, feet on the table, scrolling through the terminal as to pass the time. Hardly any humans remained in the station, just the ones on duty. Android staff stayed busy, never tiring, always working. Gavin cursed under his breath, not finding what he was looking for in any police archives. He popped his gum and, in a childish gesture, took it out of his mouth and stuck it on Richard’s monitor.

“Good afternoon Gavin” a raspy and low voice greeted him. He lifted his head to meet Hank’s blue eyes. He stood perfectly still in front of Richard’s desk, his fingers playing with a coin.

“What’s up, old droid…” he greeted back, to fed up to give a shit about proper talking.

“Who’s your case going? I heard you encounter a deviant offender” the older-looking android asked, sitting next to him on the desk. Gavin didn’t like Hank, he made him… nervous. Like he was always a step behind the HK800. 

“Yeah, pretty fucked up… one of them self-destroyed and the other one was bashed into a pulp by one of our suspects – he thought for a moment, looking at Hank after a few seconds– say, Hank… you were sent here to provide security to Lt. Anderson but also to investigate deviant androids, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct” Hank replied, fidgeting with the coin, making it roll over his fingers.

“Do you know what deviancy really is?” he asked, thinking back at Allen’s words, the rA9 written all over the CC’s hideout, his own way of acting.

“Deviancy is behaviors not included or against the android’s original programing – HK800 replied, perfectly quoting the definition– an error of some sort” he then added as an afterthought.

“Yeah, yeah… I know that, but how does it start?”

“No one knows… it might be virus-related, or resulting from damage to the android’s CPU– he exemplified – … but there the case of one android who deviated immediately, upon assembly, which may imply that is a randomly generated error”

“Like a spontaneous mutation in DNA structure” Gavin suggested and Hank nodded, his brows furrowing and looking down while he thought.

“There’s a lot of things that change in an android's behavior and actions once it deviates. For example, it can’t longer be traced, and it also exhibits high levels of anxiety, making them prone to commit felonies”

“Why?” Gavin asked the one-million-dollar question and HK could only shake his head.

“I’m not completely sure. The Lieutenant and I differed on this subject… but I will find out and put an end to it” he said with calm and practical simplicity. Gavin tried to not give out any sign of distress.

“Where is Detective Kent? I thought he was here with you” Hank inquired in blissful ignorance. Gavin huffed.

“Human’s day off, I guess… And yours?”

“At his home, probably. He threatened me with the hose if I bothered him on Sunday. Which brings me to why I came here to talk to you, Gavin… why are you trying to access Lt. Anderson’s personal file?” he asked with simple interest, tilting his head to look at the other. Gavin maintained his coolness, praying that Hank wouldn’t notice.

“I noticed severe distress in Detective Kent when addressed on his brother’s subject. In order to better understand this and maybe solve the issue, I wanted to know more about Lt. Anderson”

“I see – Hank agreed, the answer made sense to him as he too wanted to understand Connor better– … but the record is sealed for a reason. How much do you know about him?”

“Nothing really, just what it says on his personal file. Younger lieutenant on the force, top of his class, 5 years as the leader of the Red Ice task force… and that he suffered an injury on the line of duty last December”

“Yes, that is correct… Lt. Anderson suffered a terrible injury resulting in the loss of his left foot and the subsequent replacement with a prosthesis. That is why Detective Kent was transferred from the 8th to this precinct, to replace his brother while he healed”

“But… that was almost a year ago, and Connor was just reassigned to deviant cases instead of returning to the task force. I don’t understand… he had an impeccable record until a year ago and then all I find are complaints and disciplinary orders” he said, staring at the terminal, recompiling the data in seconds.

“Humans tend to respond differently from us to traumatic episodes… such as losing a leg” Hank responded with calm and Gavin looked at him surprised. Shit, the old non-deviated android was more perceptive than him? 

“Of course, you’re right…– he responded. He stared at Hank for a moment, inspecting the usually severe-looking android. Could it be that Hank was getting soft on his human? – say… do you like Connor?” 

“I find that the Lieutenant is irritable and socially-challenged. But I also think he used to be a good detective... He's an intriguing character – Hank said, and stood up – I hope this information will be useful to you in your professional relationship with Det. Kent… he is also an interesting person”

“Yeah, he is a delight…” he responded in irony.

When Hank left, he reviewed one last time the only piece of information he had: a mail lost in between files and files in the DPD’s archives. 

_< < It worries me deeply the situation you’ve come to. I’ve always sustained that you’re the most brilliant detective I’ve had the pleasure to work with, but this will not stand, C. It’s only so much that I can do for you. Your involvement will be erased from the records, and you’re lucky the only officer at the bust was N° or this would’ve been impossible. Don’t drag your brother into this shithole. Clean up your act._  
_There won't be a next time._

_A.S >>_

Gavin read the email once again, biting his bottom lip. It had been a hunch, but it had turned out to be true. In a moment of pure burning rage, he'd confronted Richard with his suspicions. Just to hurt him as much as he hurt him.

He huffed passing a hand over his face; _‘deviancy is behaviors not included or against the android’s original programming_ ’ … well, he was certainly programmed to be a fucking resentful asshole.  
\-------

Date:  
_**NOV 7th,** 2038 _  
Time _:_  
_PM **07:00:** 21_

  
He had managed to pull himself out of bed, only because he was finally hungry. Made sense, he had vomited just after stepping out of the shower. He put on a loose pair of jeans and a sweater without much care, avoiding looking at himself in the mirror.

The fridge was mostly empty, except for the few containers of yogurt that made him nauseous again upon seeing them. Nines sighed, putting on his jacket and pocketing his wallet. He thought about leaving behind his phone, but he was too neurotic to indulge in that kind of behavior. Well, at least now that he was sober. 

He walked down the street to the convenience store, trying to avoid any interaction with other people by taking a shortcut across a back alley.  
He typed a mail into his phone:

_To: GV200 (72210720227@CyberlifeA.com)_  
_Subject: incoming mission_

_I’m sorry. Can we talk?_

He bumped into someone when he was about to turn the corner into the alleyway.

“Sorry” he mumbled, deep in thoughts, looking at the screen of his phone as he doubted once again before erasing the message completely.

“Don’t worry, detective…” the heavy man responded. He continued walking a few more steps before freezing in place, turning around on his heels.

Coffey smiled cheerily, his white teeth contrasting with his dark skin. He lifted his heavy arms in the air in a warm greeting, his leather-gloved hands holding up a cigarette.  
  
“It’s so nice actually meeting you after all this time…” Coffey said

Nines took a step back and survey his surroundings. They were alone in the alley, and Coffey covered most of the narrow passageway. His chances of running away that way were near to none. He spun around quickly, ready to run head-on forward but he found himself with two more men. He was surrounded.

“Please detective. Don't do anything stupid…” Coffey said coming to rest a hand on his shoulder. Both men in front of him aimed weapons towards him and he felt the distinct feeling of cold metal against his temple. Defeated, Richard raised his hands.

“Good man, good. Now, come with us. I've some talking to do with you”

“How did you find me?” Nines asked, refusing to move.

“Come on, detective! we're not stupid. All Detroit knows who the leader of the RITF is. I mean… the replacement. Shark, take him away”

The man named Shark took Nines by the shoulder with force, pushing the barrel of his gun firmly into his lower back, and making him walk towards the end of the alley. A white truck waited for them there.

This was his best chance. He stomped over Shark’s left foot as hard as he could, elbowing the man’s gut, thus breaking away from him. He managed to run a few feet before a huge hand grabbed the neck of his jacket. The detective tried to break loose, but he was pistol-whipped with enough force to knock him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "What you got there, Jason?"  
> [a half-naked android over the table]  
> "a smoothie"
> 
> so many things going on right now! thank you for reading!


	7. Preconstruction program

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard has been capture by Coffey. No one is aware of his absence... things are looking grim.
> 
> This Chapter contains: mentions of torture, explicit violence

Date:  
 _ **NOV 7th** , 2038_   
Time:  
 _PM **11:13:** 41_

He came to a few hours later; face down with his hands tied behind his back with zip ties and his ankles firmly bind together, keeping him in an uncomfortable position. He felt the distinct taste of copper in his mouth, gagged with a rag that tasted of oil and dirt. Richard felt sore all over, his head thumping in pain, his legs and hands numbed from the lack of blood his restraints caused him. He pushed his face against a hard and cold surface, squirming, trying to turn around. 

The detective recognized he had been dumped in an old rusty bathtub, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dim light that came from a boarded-up window. He was in a filthy bathroom, old and musty. Apart from the tub, the only fixtures were a faded pink toilet and a broken sink. There was no one else there, he was alone

He was alone, but beyond that blunt statement, the creeping reality was that no one was looking for him either. The only two people that could’ve noticed his absence were mad at him.

“Nines, what have you gotten yourself into?” he thought, looking at the chipping paint on the ceiling, resting his head against the faucet, the cold metal helping alleviate the pain in his temple.  
He tugged at his restrain, probing their strength. He wouldn't be able to break them by force in this position, nor would he be capable of running away tied like that.

Richard took a minute to even his respiration, pressing his forehead to his knees, fighting against the panic settling slowly inside him. _Calm down, count to 9, breath. Let’s find a way out_ he told himself, gradually regaining his composure. 

Their maternal grandfather - Connor and his- was an accountant but also a wannabe magician. He loved to entertain the two young boys with tricks of cards and coins in those long summer afternoons they spent by the lake vacationing. And the kids gladly immersed themselves into their grandpa’s hobby. While Connor preferred manipulating objects to make them disappear and coin tricks -which he was famous for- Richard found himself more inclined to learn lock-picking and escapism. He remembered the first time he showed Connor and his grandparents his talent, escaping from firmly locked handcuffs in less than 3 minutes, and how they applaud him. He felt rather proud of himself for that.

He never thought a trick like that - that had only helped him get laid at the academy- could now come so in handy.

Nines took a deep breath, trying to relax his muscles as much as possible. He lifted his hand behind his back twisting his arms as to flex them beneath his rear, passing them to the front of his body with difficulty, his injured wrist crying out in pain. He bit down on the gag, trying to muffle out any whimper, and with one last twist, succeeded. He looked at his hands, now at his front, and smiled. That had been the difficult part.

He bit down on the strap of the zip-tie, tightening it as much as he could, the tightness creating enough tension as to be able to break them. Then, he raised his tied hands and, with one fluid motion, he came down with his hands towards his abdomen, breaking the plastic apart. With his hands now free, he pulled the rag out of his mouth, spitting a considerable amount of saliva and blood onto the floor.   
He rubbed the remaining strip of the zip-tie with the one holding his feet, cutting through it.

"Yes!" she exclaimed softly, smiling, rubbing his reddened wrists. He stood up, searching his pockets. They had taken his wallet and most importantly… his phone. 

Richard walked silently towards the door, slowly turning the knob. Dead end, it was locked. _Ok, next option._ He turned around, scanning his surroundings, spotting the boarded-up window over the toilet. Standing over the lid, he reached and pulled at the planks of wood, coming off without much effort and laid them carefully on the floor; he could hear voices from the next room.

“Coffey, you have to do something about it!... this was your fucking idea”

He hurried, pulling each plank until the window was visible. His eyes were at street level, looking into a poorly lit alley. The room was most likely underground.

“Shut up! I’m thinking…just… shoot them if they try to run” Coffey’s shouting could be heard from the other side of the door, approaching.

He stepped down from the toilet, grabbing one of the planks that looked a little sturdier than the others and shoved it through the window, breaking the glass. As fast as he could, he cleared the glass away, pushing his body through the window. The door of the bathroom opened and yelling echoed inside the bathroom. He felt the tiny glasses gashing his belly, but ignored the pain, crawling away as fast as he could. He was so fucking close!

“Where you think you're going, detective?!” Coffey’s monstrous grip took hold of Richard’s ankle, pulling him back inside. He panicked, kicking back and connecting with the man’s nose. Coffey cursed, letting go and he managed to push himself further through the broken window. But his victory was short-lived. Coffey tugged at his leg with massive force, bringing him back into the bathroom with a cry of pain, falling to the floor and hitting his head.

“You motherfucker…– Coffey cursed, grabbing Richard by the hair and lifting him up from the floor. The gigantic man stared at him, enrage, bleeding from his broken nose. Nines held his glare, defiantly –… I’m done playing with you” he tightened his grip on the detective’s hair, the leather from his gloves scraping his scalp.

“Suck my dick, bitch…” Richard called out, with an unruly light in his eyes. Coffey smile widen, crueler and unsettling. He walked off the room, dragging Nines by the hair despite the detective’s kicking and thrashing.

“I’m not much into snow bunnies, detective… though you have a nice toned body. I’ll have my fun with you”

Nines’s blood ran cold.

\-----------------  
Date:  
 _ **NOV 8th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
 _AM **09:45** :11_

Gavin tapped his feet on the floor, not needing to look at the clock on the wall to know what time it was. He also did not need to check his mail or his messages; he knew that he had no new ones. That was the main reason for his sour mood. He was aware of Nines’s resentment towards him, but this was just… plain unprofessional. If he was as concerned about this case as he alleged, he should at least be mature enough to send his supposed plan for today’s operation to him, instead of ignoring him like a butt-hurt teenager.

He willingly disregarded Richard’s instruction about not contacting him. Fuck him.

**_Gavin GV200_ **   
_I’m expecting your instructions_   
_06:10√_

_I’m not gonna wait for you to appear_   
_09:35√_

_You know what? Fuck you…_   
_09:46√_

He sent, waiting for the icon of the message to double-check, but it remained the same. He huffed and stood up from the desk, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair and making his way to the exit. He ran into Daniel at the door, the blonde officer arriving with one coffee in each hand.

“Hi, Gavin! Today is the day!” he greeted with a smile, still wearing a dressing around his head from his previous injury.

“Hey, Daniel… listen – he called, and the officer halted in front of him– You know anything about Det. Kent?”

“Richard? He’s not here yet?... maybe he’s with North already. She went ahead to scout out the place”

“Ah! Right! I forgot he told me – He exclaimed, hasty. Daniel tried to say something but was interrupted–… thanks, Daniel. See you there” he patted the officer’s back and moved along. Forget it, he wouldn’t wait any longer. He had a job to do and then he was done. 

He contacted a taxi and got into the vehicle, making his way towards Woodward avenue. He stared at the quiet city, cold and uninviting, the dirty snow accumulating in the street corners. He felt isolated. Would he feel any different if he was surrounded by other androids like him? Would deviants receive him in Jericho? He was a police android after all. _An enemy._

He looked out from the window; an AX400 model walked down the street with a little kid by her side, grabbing her hand and pressing into her with a shiver. The android stopped to lift him into her arms, the little kid wrapping his arms around her neck in a tight embrace. After all the things he’d seen done to androids, Gavin found some sort of comfort in that simple exchange. It looked natural and sweet, androids and humans interacting in a healthy-reciprocal way.

The taxi stopped a few streets further from The Gutter and he walked towards the bar, stopping to look at himself in a shop window changing his jacket's color. The masking protocol worked perfectly, running faster than before. He combed back his hair, checking if his LED was out of sight and, satisfied with his appearance, stepped into the bar’s street.

He spotted North’s car and opened a communication channel with her.

“You ready, baby girl?”

“Jesus, you remind me why I don't date men…– North replied with a laugh – me and Jerry are ready”

“Go get them, champ!” Jerry cheered, making Gavin cringe. Jerry talked like an 80’ football coach.

“Ok, bye…”

“Gavin, wait… where’s Nines? I can’t get a hold of him… is he with y-?” Gavin cut the communication off with a bit of guilt. He needed to do this as fast as possible and waiting for Nines was not an option. The truth was he had no business working with the DPD, the case no longer interests him. But he wanted to nail old Harry and Coffey, maybe even get his fist into their faces a bit as Richard had promised him. He would make them pay; Allen and the unknown Traci deserved that much.

He entered the shabby bar, looking around to find no one inside. He scowled, taking careful steps into the building. It was disturbingly quiet. He recognized a trail of blood that led to the back door.

“Something is wrong here… stay sharp – he called over to North and Jerry– Yo! Tony!?... it’s Gavin” he called out, reaching for the butterfly knife in his pocket. Nothing, just more silence. He followed the trail of blood to the back door, finding it open. He pressed his shoulder into it and cracked it open enough to peer inside. Tony appeared from the back looking nervous and fidgety, dragging his leg behind. 

“Jesus man, what’s with you?” 

“Fucking shit Reed. All gone to fucking hell…” Tony mumbled, limping towards him, his right thigh roughly bandaged and still bleeding profusely. 

“What the fuck happened to you?” he rushed to his side, helping the man walk towards the front of the bar and sitting him down in a booth.

“Androids! That’s what fucking happened to me!” he whined, grabbing his leg in pain and cleaning the sweat and dirt from his face. Gavin scanned him; although he was losing blood, his vitals were still stable. 

Hill mumbled something unintelligible, his hand gesturing towards the bar counter. Gavin went behind it, grabbing a bottle of vodka, not bothering to take a glass, and bringing it back to the man. The old bartender opened the bottle, gulping a few swings from it. Gavin waited till the man had calmed down to ask.

“Tony… what the fuck is going on? You telling me androids attacked you?” he asked, sitting in front of the other. The injured man nodded.

“It was Coffey’s idea… – he began, mumbling and twitching– … to buy second-hand androids from this man called Zlatko and make them work on making the ice. You know?” Tony halted and took another swing from the vodka bottle, cleaning the liquor that had dripped from his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Androids cooking ice?! Shit!” 

“It was a great idea, at first… they didn't need any gas masks, didn't fuck up or get hooked. Shit, we thought we were modern dealers, man! Even motor factories have android workers… why not us?” 

“… yeah. But something must have happened” Gavin exclaimed, urging the man to tell him more. He could hear North demanding to know what was happening inside his head. He tuned her out.

“Fucking Coffey… he’s a clever motherfucker but he’s also insane! Fucking psychopath, you dig? He liked… torturing the things – Tony hiccupped, clearly in pain, and broke into a sob– he liked… putting ice into them, into the androids! cause they would shake all over the place! until they burned up. Really sick shit– he stopped and looked at Gavin with fearful eyes – Gav, I'm not good…I need it. You got any ice?”

“No, Tony… but here. Take it” The younger male replied, patting his jacket and taking out Richard’s pack he’d stolen from his desk. He gave him the last cigarette and the man struggled to light the stick, his hands trembling too much.

“The longer he stayed with the machines, the creepier he got… doing god-fucking-knows-what with them – he brought the smoke to his lips with trembling hands and smoke compulsively – … it’s not like I give two shit about those tins cans but… even for me, it was sick”

Gavin remained silent, keeping his emotions at bay. He could not lose his temper now, not until he met Harry. The other man waited until finishing the smoke to resume his tale.

“The androids went crazy. One day to another they started refusing to work! Johnny kicked one of those fuckers with the butt of his rifle, but the plastic prick refused to move. Then suddenly another one of them jumped over Johnny and started choking him! right in front of me!... before I know it, all the fucking machines were attacking us” he took a moment, too excited to continue.  
“We were outnumbered, there was only me and two other guys with guns and… I dunno, maybe 12 of them!? – he counted– we managed to put them all down, but… Jesus! Look what they did to me” he finished, pointing at his leg, sobbing again.

“You killed them all?” Gavin asked, the manner of speaking seeping into it but going unnoticed.

“Yeah, all those motherfuckers went down. All the floor was red, man… like, real blood. I know it's 'cause of the ice and all but… it looked like the real thing! like we were killing real people”

“Where’s Coffey? Did the androids got him?”

“Shit no! he wasn’t even at the lab… I called Shark and he was supposed to tell him. I ain't no condition to go nowhere” he whined again, resting back into the chair. He did look deadly pale. 

“I’ll go… I’ll tell them what happened and help any way I can…” Gavin said, determination in his voice.

“You’re a good kid, Son… you shouldn't get involved in this shit – he hiccupped again– go home to your girlfriend… forget all about this while you still can, ok?”

“No way, Tony! … and don’t talk like you’re going to die. You're fine – Gavin insisted – give me the address, I’ll send someone to pick you up. Ok?”

The man sobbed a little longer and nodded, scribbling in a napkin an address across town. He thanked Gavin several times, even hugging him. The android jostled away, assuring him he will send help and stepped away through the bar’s back door. He contacted North.

“GAV! What the fuck!? what was that?!” North shouted, pissed off.

“North, listen up… wait 10 minutes and then bust the fuck out of this place. There’s a wounded man inside. I’ll send you the secondary location I'm heading to”

“Gavin, maybe we should wait for Richard to-

“We can’t keep waiting! we’re gonna loose Harry if we don’t get moving! – Gavin shouted – I’m going… whether you like it or not” he hanged up, sending the location into North’s phone.

\-----------------------------

  
Date:  
 _ **NOV 8th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
 _AM **02:23:** 21_

“I feel sorry for you, cop” the man in the room related, looking down at the other who was tied firmly to a pole. Richard lifted his head just a little, his head thumping to the beating of his heart. He could not open his left eye, and he had a nasty wound on the inside of his mouth where his chipped canine had bitten down.

  
Coffey had just beaten him around, with no ulterior motive than to inflict pain, but Richard maintained his mouth shut. Apart from a little groan and a huff, he did not complain. When Coffey took a break to smoke, Richard glared at him and opened his mouth for the first time to ask why. Coffey had just laughed, patting him on the cheek with force.

_“Because I couldn't get your brother…”_ He said and then proceeded to press the burning tip of the smoke into Richard’s forearm.

Coffey had rapidly gotten bored of him; he was too silent for his liking, and Nines thought he was going to dispose of him. Surprisingly, he hadn't been afraid of dying, just annoyed.

It was an untimely death for him, he still had many things to do. Dying now would’ve ruined his plan of taking the sergeant exam next year, he was still paying for his department and had a lot of vacation days still piling up. No, dying now would've been an inconvenience. 

He chuckled to himself. This was him, controlling and calculating even at a time like this.

… But something had distracted Coffey, and instead of killing him, he had left him there, tied to the pole in the middle of the stage. He’d been there for hours, his joints stiff from the position. 

“It only gets worst from here…– continued the man, lighting a cigarette and walking towards the other – … you smoke?” he asked, offering him the lighted stick. Richard held his stare in distrust but finally took a drag from the offered smoke.

“Water” Richard mumbled, and the man nodded. He disappeared behind a door and return carrying a water bottle. He heard the twist of the cap and the bottle was raised to Richard’s chipped lips. He drank in long gulps.

“Easy, you don’t want to puke…” the man suggested, pushing the bottle away from him before his thirst could be satiated.

“Why do you say it’ll get worse?” Richard asked, regaining his voice. The man let out an empty laughter.

“Coffey hates cops… he hated your brother – he paused, crouching next to him as if to look him more carefully– you do look alike…”

“What is your name?” Richard asked, but the man just snorted

“Don't even try, cop. You won't get me to like you” 

“… you gave me water”

“Yeah, consider it a token of gratitude to your brother… he did try to help my sis out of this shit… –He confessed. The man had a long nose and squinting eyes, his face busted similarly to Nines’s – … I don’t like owing nothing to no cop, so here… I have paid my debts to him”

“What happened to you sister?” the man turned towards him, lighting a match and throwing it to the floor. He repeated the act a few times before speaking.

“Dead. Overdosed two years ago” he explained unfazed, sitting down in the leather chair again, like a customer in a strip bar where Nines was the prime star. He kept lighting matches, throwing them carelessly around.

“Heard he lost his leg… and got hooked on Oxy. CC was selling him – the man spoke up again a few minutes later. Nines had dozed off but registered that. He didn't reply – t’s a shame… nothing stays good in this fucking city. Cops get crooked, androids go deviant. Well, at least you won’t have to deal with any of that”

The man stood up, listening to the ruckus of people coming into the building. He walked away, leaving Nines where he was.

\--------------------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 8th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
 _PM **12:09:** 56_

GV200 headed towards Livernois street. Humans barely wrote anymore, making reading Tony’s unused handwriting nearly impossible. He tried to locate the building the injured barman had described to him but neither of the structures around him looked remotely similar to what the barman had said.  
  
“Fucking useless piece of shit” he cursed, walking south, thinking. Why couldn't humans just interface? It would've been easier than following Tony’s wide description of a building he’d never been into.

_Wait_ , he did have an android’s memories.

He knew he couldn't feel sick, but every time that he had to rewatch those short segments, he felt utterly troubled. He could feel Allen’s pain and fear through them. It was funny, he had barely gotten to know him but felt like he had known him since forever. _Better get through with this_ , he thought taking a sit on a bench. He reviewed Allen’s memories again, trying to locate anything that could pinpoint the place where Coffey might be hiding.

The android never went outside, left mostly in the dark warehouse and taken out only to do chores.   
  
“If I cannot see anything in his memories, I might hear something,” he thought, replaying once more the few scraps of memories and enhancing the audio. One of them, in particular, seemed promising. He isolated the background noise, hearing the distinct sound of cars going fast and the distant siren of a fire engine.

_Jeffries freeway_

He ran a few streets east, stopping a few times to compare the sound around him until he found what he was looking for.

The place looked like an old dance club from the 2010', almost ran down by now. It still had a few posters attached to its wall promoting a new year party for 2020. The marquee, broken a long time ago, advertised exclusive parties and shows, most of them featuring exotic dancing. He passed the entry hall, sneaking beneath an old metal curtain, feeling a foreboding presence over his shoulders.

"Coffey!? – He called. How he wished he had a gun now – Coffey! It’s Gavin… Tony sent me here” he slipped in between two sliding doors, pushing them apart with his shoulder. Surprisingly, the space inside was almost intact, cared for in some way. The entrance had an old neon sign that read _“NEXUS”._

“Gav! Boy, what are you doing here!?” Shark appeared from behind a heavy door with a sign that read "Private". He walked towards him, carrying an assault rifle and a metal briefcase. The left side of his face was horribly swollen, the beating must have been terrible. 

“Tony sent me! He told me about the androids' riot… fucking hell – Gavin replied sprinting towards him– The old man is fucked up, Shark… but refuses to go to a hospital”

“He’s not that dumb to go to no fucking hospital, he’ll get jailed again… shit – Shark grabbed the phone from his pocket– Coffey, Reed is here… ok– he hanged up and look at the young man– I have something to tend to now, but Coffey’s waiting for you. Just go through that door… oh, and Reed – Shark stopped him, grabbing him by the arm– … play nice, that fucker is out of his mind” he suggested, pointing at his face and spitting a clot of blood into the floor. Something white shone between the blood. A tooth.

“Shit! If this is so out of control, why don’t you call Harry?”

“Oh! he’s coming–Shark nodded, smiling a toothless smile, like a fervent believer in Harry’s almighty power– And Coffey it's done for. Old Harry won’t stand any of this shit”

Shark disappeared through the busted doors, twitching and talking to himself like any person high on ice would do.

Gavin passed through the metal door and descended a bunch of stairs. He imagined the place to be where private parties used to be hosted, the hard-concrete structure amplifying the music to the point of making people go in a trance, a frenzy of bodies dancing high on acid, waiting for the beat to drop. But now, the dancehall looked deserted. Only a few leather couches remained, faded and full of cigarette burns. 

He walked beyond the front and into the stage. A dance pole was perfectly fixed in the middle of it, for all the eyes to see. He examined it, catching on a few scuff marks around the middle section, bloodstains on the floor below it, mixed with traces of thirium. How many people and androids had unwillingly participated in that show? was Allen tortured here too?... he had no time to think about that.

“Coffey!” Gavin called again, stepping on the platform.

“Reed, boy! I’m here in the back. Man, I'm so glad to hear from you! Come, I've got a surprise for you”

Gavin doubted. This screamed "trap" in big bold highlighted letters but, what else could he do? He was too deep into the rabbit’s butthole to just chicken out now.

He stepped behind the stage, walking along the corridor, finding what was probably the dressing room before the place closed. The wall where aligned with mirrors and lights for actors and actresses to fix their hair and make-up, even a few outfits remained, moth-eaten and rotting away on their perches.

Coffey was seated in the center, on an old coffee table. He greeted Gavin with open arms as always, nailing the switchblade he’d previously been playing with into the table.

“Kid, you’re a fucking blessing in this fuck-up day” Coffey looked out of it, his eyes bloodshot and his nose running constantly from the ice. His unnerving smile, never fading from his face, looked crazier than ever. He waited until Gavin was near enough to pull his arm over his shoulder, patting him in the back with his enormous hands.

“Man, Tony told me the most fucked-up story I’ve ever heard… Androids rebelling against humans?”

“Yeah, fucking true though – Coffey recognized– … but that’s taken care of” he glowed again. Apparently, that was his favorite quote.

“The cops were hovering over the bar like flies over shit…” he alerted, watching every reaction from Coffey, but his smile persisted.

“Chill, man! I already told you, that’s taken care of. Now, I have a little something for you – He called him over with his hand and reluctantly, Gavin approached him – old Harry is coming today… and I gave him my word that you were the perfect man to help us out”

“Ol’ harry? Really?... come on Coffey, stop shitting me” Gavin followed to the end of the room, the heavier man towering over him like a stone statue.

“I’m telling you, Reed. It’s the truth! You’ll get that money you’ve been wanting since the beginning... but, you know– he stopped like he was considering something, pressing his finger into Gavin’s shoulder – There’s something you must prove first. Like an… initiation”

“Initiation? – the younger man let out a nervous laugh– what’s this? A fraternity?”

“Nothing like that… probably won't even surprise you. You've served time, right?”

“Sure. OSP, seven years for assault…” he stated, all his backup story carefully planned.

“Then this will be like a walk in the park…” he smiled, putting a hand to the small of his back and directing him towards the back of the dressing room. 

He pushed away a tattered divider, revealing a silhouette behind it. There was someone, a third person, seated in an old wooden chair. His head - he could tell it was a man by the way he was dress- was cover by a pillow casing completely soaked in blood. Coffey grabbed the stained fabric and pulled it off. 

  
“Gavin Reed… meet Detective Richard Kent from the DPD. Detective, this is the fine young man I told you about…” Coffey chuckled, grabbing Nines by the hair and pulling up his head.

Tied to the chair, the man looked like a war prisoner, clothes torn and bloodied, his face beaten up to the point his left eye had swollen shut. His blue sweater was stained with dark smudges of blood. The man was gagged but did not look defeated, his general demeanor still defiant. Richard’s eyes met Gavin’s and a spark of joy briefly illuminated his features, only for Gavin to see. 

But the android was appalled, looking at him with disgust.

“What? You got a pig here?!... Jesus” Gavin turned to look at Coffey, who let out a powerful laugh.

“This piggy is the leader of the RITF… a fucking pain in the ass is what he is”

“He doesn't look very impressive”

“Not at all. Did not cry though… and believe me, I tried – Coffey pulled a gun from his back, a small P226, and handed it to Gavin– So! this is the deal, Reed… you shoot the pig, you get your wings”

“You want me to kill a cop?!– Gavin took the gun and stare at it like it was cursed. He took a long breath and sighed– … can you just send me to kill a CC guy? This is fucking pathetic” the wannabe thug complained pointing the gun at the cop’s head without a second thought.

“Don’t worry, kid... I’ll clean-up after you” Coffey said amicably, but the smiled had faded from his face. He sat down on one of the vanities, leaning forward to snort a line from the surface of the counter. He then opened a drawer taking out a revolver, letting it down softly on the counter as a silent warning.

The younger male complained with a curse, still with a derogative scowl on his features. He walked towards Nines and grabbed him by the hair, yanking up as to meet his gaze. 

“Some shitty situation you’ve gotten yourself into, eh? – He taunted, his hazel eyes examining the face of his prey – Hey, piggy… any last words?” He pulled the gag down to free his mouth. The detective took a quick short breath for a moment, spitting a mixture of saliva and blood into the floor. He lifted his head to look straight up to Gavin.

“What are you waiting for?” he responded. Silently his lips made a second statement, only for Gavin to see. _I’m sorry._

“… you are really sure about that?”

“of course,” Nines pulled a smiled, managing to look bold despite his injuries

Gavin mirrored that smile, cocking the gun and pressing the barrel against Nines' forehead. The human closed his eyes, silently giving into Gavin’s decision. Whatever it may be.

  
“Abraham “Coffey” Johnson, you’re under arrest for the kidnapping and assault of a police officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used in a court of law– Gavin turned around in one swift motion, the gun now aiming at the man behind them – you have the right of an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you.

“Do you understand?” Richard finished with satisfaction in each word.

Gavin’s smile rapidly expanded through his face, looking at the thug with satisfaction plastered all over his features. Coffey’s face contorted in a disgusted look; his eyes so bloodshot that looked almost completely red. He huffed between clenched teeth like a caged animal, his hand raising over his head diligently.

“You ok there, Nines?” He kept his finger over the trigger, aiming securely at the accused’s chest while he cut Nines’ restraints with the switchblade.

“Just cuff him already! You can free me later” Richard grunted, pulling at his bindings.

“Please, give me a reason…” Gavin encouraged, now aiming at Coffey’s head, stepping towards the man with handcuffs firmly gripped in his left hand. Even in clear disadvantage, Coffey was still imposing and menacing.

“you a cop?” Coffey muttered, jaw tight.

“Damned sure, I am! – the android replied– Now… surrender yourself and this will be easier for both of us. The building is surrounded, so don’t even try to make a break for it” he threatened.

“Is that so?” Coffey said, lowering his arms and leaving them fall. Gavin tensed up, putting himself between the detective and the bigger man. He steadied the gun, aim secured.

“Stand back or I will fire” he warned; but the other one just smiled like a mad man taking a step forward, coming nearer. 

“Gavin, wait…” Nines called out.

“This is my last warning!” Gavin yelled once more, taking the safety off the gun.

“Do it… shoot! I dare you! – Coffey shouted into his face, launching at him– SHOOT, MOTHERFUCKER!” 

Gavin pressed the trigger aiming straight to the man´s head.

Only to be met with the frustrating sound of an empty chamber. _Click, click, click._ He fired again, again and again, Coffey smile widening with each click. Gavin stared back at him, stunned.

“What’s the matter, Reed?... you didn’t really believe that I would’ve given you a loaded gun? – Coffey laughed, slapping the surface of the vanity, splintering the surface– gotta give you credit… the whole shit about wanting to become some tough guy in the mob was adorable. I did want it to be true… you’re such a cute jock. Would’ve made you my bitch” he stretched out his arm to grab the barrel of the gun, yanking it away from Gavin’s grip with surprising force.

Gavin recompose and took a step back, widening his stand to fight the man. He threw a punch towards Johnson’s jaw but the man caught it in his hand with ease, crushing Gavin’s fist with his fingers. The android’s sensors alerted him of the damage, the man clutching his knuckles with such force that the metalplastic alloy broke.

“You think you can fight me, brat?” Coffey's other hand went up to Gavin’s throat, clasping around his windpipe, pulling him up and shoving him against the mirror, shattering it.

“Gavin!!” Nines shouted, scrambling in the chair, trying to stand despite his restraints.

“You know what I hate more than cops? – Coffey smiled, keeping Gavin in place despite the android's desperate attempts to escape– androids… I fucking hate them” He muttered into Gavin’s ear, slowly licking the side of his face, from his jaw until he reached the right side of his forehead. He lifted his hand towards that spot and scratch it roughly until the LED appeared in place. A red furious ring.

“Leave him alone!” Nines shouted

“Would you look at that! – Coffey chanted, pointing with his head towards the detective– it seems that he’s really into you, Reed. A pig and his android… you think he’ll cry if I tear you apart?” he suggested, clutching his jaw. 

Gavin’s hand grabbed at the man’s arms, digging into the clothes and trying to peel him off. But he wouldn't budge. It made no sense.

Coffey clenched the android’s neck tightly, raising him and shoving him into the mirror, again and again, bashing his head against it. Tiny shreds of glass dug themselves into Gavin’s nape, staining the wall with blue. He clenched and ripped at his captor's arms until the clothes tore apart. With stunning realization, Gavin understood why this man was so insanely strong.

“Oh my God” Nines mouthed, looking astonished at the man’s polish white forearms, the mechanical components reaching his elbows. He recognized the technology of Connor’s leg in those arms, but rougher, like a prototype or an unfinished job.

“You like them, Reed? …they make me strong, stronger than you. Imagine how easy will be to break you apart, crush you like a tin can” Coffey’s hand grabbed Gavin's face, his whole head fitting inside the gigantic hand… and he squeezed slowly, clenching over the android’s head. He thrashed and kicked with his feet, but Johnson was out of his reach.

_Crack, crack…_

_Warning: Damage to component #4990JR_   
_Warning: Damage to component #5231V_   
_WARNING. component #5231V. OPTICAL UNIT L destroyed_   
_WARNING: component #4990JR. Audio processor destroyed_

Gavin lost vision on his left side, his hearing now impaired. He could only see the space between Coffey’s finger how Nines' figure behind them squirmed on the chair. He was shouting something to him, but he could barely hear anything. He turned to look at his killer. 

_WARNING: DAMAGE TO CPU._

He charged with all his body towards Coffey, his hand holding the knife Gavin had passed him, stabbing the blade in Coffey’s side to the hilt. The man roared in agony, letting go of Gavin and retreating, holding his injured side, blood seeping through his fingers.

The android collapsed to the floor, taking a few seconds to regain control of his components as Nines help him back on his feet.

“Son of a bitch!” Coffey shouted, having scrambled back into a corner. His shirt was stained crimson, and so were his fingers. He turned towards them, ready to charge; but Gavin was already in possession of the revolver, firing a shot straight into Coffey’s mechanical arm, the bullet bouncing against the metal.

“Stop right now!” Gavin shouted, but Coffey ignored the command. The thug moved quickly to the left of Gavin’s, taking advantage of his impaired vision. The android moved along with him in the disarray dressing room, trying to aim at his moving target. He shot again, missing by an inch and hitting a feather boa.

He couldn't hear them, but Nines did. And a moment later, the door opened, filling the room with blinding light.

“GAVIN!” North shouted appearing behind one of the folding screens.

“North, watch out!” alerted Nines but far too late in the confusion of shouting, smoke, and lights. Coffey took hold of the officer from behind, his arms twisted around the woman’s neck in a vice grip choke. Both men froze on the spot.

“You move, she dies…– Coffey stated firmly. North kept her gun down, restricted by the imposing presence – put the gun down…” he instructed Gavin. He couldn’t really hear him but understood enough from the context, lowering the gun without a second thought.  
“Don’t hurt her, Coffey– Nines negotiated – just let her go…” 

The man laughed maniacally, pressing over North’s windpipe, making the woman let out a strangled sound.

“You are gonna let me go, detective… if you want this bitch to live” he threatened.

“Who are you calling a bitch, you piece of shit?!” North winded out, barely able to breathe at all.

She looked to Gavin and winked, making a sudden movement with her fist and impacting directly into the man’s groin. As Coffey doubled over, she connected another hit with her elbow. Only Gavin's processor could catch onto everything fast enough to react, firing again against the larger man. This time hitting the arm straight at the center, ripping through it, spraying blue thirium everywhere.

Coffey made a run for it, shoving North towards Richard and pushing them away from his way. Gavin managed to shoot again, but with his left eye busted and the other one damage, he only managed to brush Coffey’s calf. In the obscurity of the dressing room, Coffey disappeared through the back door.  
Gavin flew behind him. The revolver still had two more bullets.

Richard helped North stand. The woman was shaken but mostly unharmed. 

“I’m fine! Just go! Go!” she insisted, pushing Nines away as she called for back-up, knowing well enough that the rest of the team were somewhere inside the building. Richard ran behind the android, finding himself in the long dark corridors of the backstage.

“Gavin!” he shouted, bumping into props scattered in the dark halls. Blue spatters of thirium marked a luminous route along the corridors, giving a dull glow. Richard’s heart tightened as he made his way faster through the path. _Please, let it be Coffey’s blood and not Gavin’s._

He found the android at the emergency exit, doors wide open, looking at the freshly fallen snow. He ran towards him as fast as he could, putting his hand on his shoulder and turning him around. Gavin jolted, turning to Richard with his gun aimed. 

“Idiot! I almost shot you” he yelled, pulling the gun away immediately.

“Couldn't you hear me calling you?” he asked in reply, but Gavin only heard muffled static.

“My audio processor is busted, so is my right eye…– he explained, the gun dropping to his side. Blue thirium dripped from his eye, trailing his cheek– I lost Coffey…” he added, like if that loss was more important than the other ones. Richard put both of his hands in Gavin's shoulders, looking straight at him.

“I'm just glad you're ok” The android lip-read before being pulled into a tight embrace. Gavin gave into it, wrapping his arms around the human too.

“Are you stupid? you are the one who’s injured. Shit! he hurt you so bad” He mumbled and could faintly heard Richard respond to him, but couldn’t make out what he said. He just pressed his forehead against the human’s shoulder.

They separated before the rest of the task force came to back them up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to express how much it means to me that you read this. I've always been a huge police novel fan, and I try to make the case plot as interesting as possible without neglecting the original plot.  
> I'll like to ask you, do you like the plot? are the secondary OC interesting?
> 
> as always, I'm forever grateful for your kudos, comments, bookmarks, and hits!
> 
> PS: sorry I hurt Nines :c


	8. Cogito, ergo sum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Domestic fluf with investigation features  
> This chapter contains violence against androids, detective shit.

Date:  
 _ **NOV 8th,** 2038_  
Time:  
 _PM **03:46** :23_  
  
“No. No more CT-scans, no more X-rays, no more anything. You either discharge me or I will discharge myself” Richard stated, seated in the bed with a not-really-fashionable hospital gown as his only garment. He constantly tried to pull it over his knees. Being half-naked in a hospital bed was not his first option for a fun Monday afternoon.  
  
“Nines, please be reasonable – Connor scolded, turning towards the MD who looked like he was more fed up with his life than with Richard’s attitude– What do you suggest, doc?”  
  
“Well, the images came back with no signs of fractures or cerebral injury. And we discarded the possibility of ocular trauma. I would suggest staying here just to be on the safe side, but if your brother wants to go, I will highly recommend that he rest for at least 2 days.”  
  
“and I can do that in the comfort of my own home, thank you very much” Richard quickly rose from the bed, looking for his discarded clothing.  
  
“I’ll prescribe you some painkillers”  
  
“Not necessary Doctor. I’ve got Tylenol at home…”  
  
“Richard! for God-sake!... –Connor muttered – I’m sorry, doctor” the MD shrugged. His shift was too long to get himself involved in brothers fight.  
  
“Take care detective Kent. And please; don't hesitate to return if you present any of the symptoms that I mentioned”   
  
“I will. Thank you, Dr. McNamara” The doctor nodded and tiredly walked away, leaving the brothers alone. Connor turned around and stared at him in an irritated manner, making Richard flinch instinctively.  
  
“Really Richard? acting like a kid? you want me to call Mom?” the older brother scolded, raising the phone in his hand like it was an instrument of mass destruction.  
  
“Please, don’t!... I didn’t want them to call you in the first place” he complained in a grumble, putting on his pants with his back to the other to save the little dignity he still had. Connor’s phone rang, but he quickly sent the call to voice mail.  
  
“I’m your emergency contact, jackass… and North was going to call me either way. Here, I brought you clean clothes” Connor huffed, walking towards him and handing him one hideous shirt from out of a duffel bag. Connor’s fashion style was questionable on most days, and this shirt was no exception. It looked like it was designed by a tasteless blind monkey trying to get fired. Nevertheless, Richard accepted it. It was better than putting on his bloodied sweater.  
  
“Con…– He called as he buttoned up the shirt. It was a little tight for him, so he left the two upper buttons loose. The shorter man turned around, biting down on his nail absentmindedly. – I’m… I’m really sorry for what I said back then. I was upset and misplaced my anger towards you. Please, don’t be mad at me anymore” he murmured with his eyes cast to the floor.  
  
A long sigh escape Connor’s mouth, as he pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. He walked towards the other male, punching his side in one quick but harmless jab. Richard looked at him, startled.  
  
“You can be a fucking idiot when you want to, but I can’t be mad with you for long, not when you almost get yourself killed” he smiled, his hand gripping Nines’s arm with care. Richard kept his eyes down.  
  
“I'm sorry”, he mumbled again, reverting a little to his younger years when it was Connor who had to stand up for him, defending him against the older kids in his neighborhood.

“Enough! You’re not a kid, and I’m not mad at you anymore. I'm just happy that you're alright. - He stared at Nines’s dressed forearm, trailing the bandage – he burned you…”  
  
“I’m fine…”  
  
Every wound had been meticulously described on the police and medical report. Internal affairs had photographed and interrogated Richard for a long while, taking his statement for later legal procedures. He’ll have to go through an obligatory psychological assessment after this, IA had been very insistent on that.  
  
“I should've indictment him and thrown his ass in jail while I was in charge of the task force... should’ve killed him when I had the chance,” he said under greeted teeth.

“Con, I’m ok. You and I know the risk that comes with this job. Please, don’t patronize me… I’m as much as a detective as you are”  
  
“I’m… I’m not trying to do that. I just… I’m really upset. You’re my brother and he hurt you, I won’t forgive that”

“Thank you, but I can take care of myself” Richard pulled a smile, looking particularly determined despite his knockout-boxer look.  
  
“Sure thing. Next time, try not to get abducted while doing your shopping, ok?" Connor smiled, patting his shoulder softly. His phone vibrated again, had been doing so for the past 10 minutes. Richard insisted he had to answer and, reluctantly, the lieutenant did.  
  
“Anderson… what?! shit, ok… I'm on my way. Wait for me, Hank - he hanged up and turned to Richard – Some deviant androids took hold of the news channel in Stratford tower. They hijacked the signal to stream a message”  
  
“… What?” Richard mumbled even though he’d heard it perfectly fine.  
  
“They proclaimed themselves as a sentient life form and asked to be treated as such. Nines, I have to go… I’m sorry”  
  
“Don’t be. Maybe I can go with you, help out” but before he could suggest anything else, Connor cut him off.  
  
“No. You’re going home and taking those two days off as the doctor told you – he scolded again but stopped to think–… I drove your car here, but you shouldn’t drive”  
  
“I'll get him home…” a third voice interrupted.  
  
Gavin walked into the observation room with a nervous smile. His hood covered his face and he was wearing his white jacket again, sporting the blue triangle and his denomination. When he threw the hood back to reveal his face, none of his previous injuries were visible. His left eye was completely restored as if nothing had happened.

“What are you doing here?” Richard asked, surprised  
  
“Oh! You must be Gavin. Nice to finally meet you – Connor perked up, smiling at the android and completely ignoring Richard’s question. He held out his hand and Gavin shook it awkwardly – Thank you for saving Richard”.

“It’s part of my job. Would look bad if my boss died on me” Gavin replied, grinning at Connor.

“Still. I know he can be a handful. I'll really appreciate it if you could take him home" Connor smiled, a dumb smile that made Gavin’s grin wider. He had such a goofy face.

“Hey! I haven’t agreed to this” Richard protested, but Connor silenced him with one firm stare as he handed the car keys to the android.

“I’ll make sure he stays bedridden– Gavin guaranteed, smirking with satisfaction at seeing Richard in that position – Was nice knowing you, Lieutenant Anderson”

“Please call me Connor… I have to go now. Nines, I’ll keep you posted” Connor said goodbye and ran off.  
  


Richard stared a moment at his hands, surprisingly one of the only parts of his body that was unharmed. He was not in pain though; He was not in pain though; apart from the black eye, the burn on his forearm and, sore body, he had no other serious injuries. The cuts on his abdomen had been tended, and with a few painkillers, he was reasonably ok.

He thought back on the whole ordeal. The last 24 hours seemed like a feverish dream- a nightmare actually. He’d been very close to dying back at that old club, just a matter of time before Coffey ultimately decided to shoot him… or worse.  
Coffey’s smile and the way he stared at his body still gave him chills. He did not want to think about _what if’_. He shuddered every time he thought of Connor calling his mom just to tell her his younger son had been found, dumped in a ravine. Naked, tortured and probably raped.

No… that was a _"what if"_ he wasn't going to address soon. Not until he was obligated to do so with a shrink.

“so…you feeling any better?” Gavin finally asked, breaking the silence inside the room. Richard tore his eyes away from his hands and sighed, bending down to tie his shoes.

“Yeah. I’m a bit tired. I could really use a shower…. And a cigarette”

“Wait till you get discharged. Nice shirt by the way… gives you an old-retired-fart-living-in-Florida kinda look. Really sexy” Gavin grinned, waiting for the man to be ready to leave.   
Richard huffed, annoyed, looking down at the blue flower-pattern shirt. He knew it was his brother’s silent vengeance against him, but this was too much, even for him.

“Have you been repaired?” he asked, turning to Gavin, who was playing around with the medical equipment, interfacing with the heart monitor just for fun.

“Yeah… Sadly, I can hear you now – A snort escaped his lips, covering his mouth as to try to quite it before bursting in full-on laughter– Jason was fucking fuming when he saw me! He actually called you a sadistic arrogant bastard” Gavin laughed.  
  
“The same could be said of him - he responded with a soft snort. He turned to look at Gavin, his LED a calming blue– … is your masking protocol defective again?”

“Nah…– the android said, grabbing Richard jacket to leave – you said I could keep it off while not on duty so…” he shrugged, motioning the human to get going. Richard nodded and walked alongside him. Finally, he felt like he could relax for a bit.  


  
Gavin was a terrible driver, not because he didn’t know how to properly operate a stick, but because he wanted to irritate Richard. Only to be more obnoxious, Gavin began humming _“mambo N°5”._ Nines grumbled loudly, leaning back in the seat with a hand over his eyes.

Once at a stoplight, Gavin looked down at the dashboard, finding an old broken-down iPod, auxiliary cord connected to the car’s radio.

“Does this even work?” he asked, motioning towards the old music player. Richard looked at him with an irritated expression.

“Why don’t you try it yourself? anything would be better than you singing… and could you please drive past 20? You're driving me nuts”

“Hey! I’m a law-abiding citizen… well, android” he corrected, a smile plastered on his face.

He took the iPod in hand and tried to interface with it. Obviously, the device had been manufactured way before Apple decided to support CyberLife OS.  
.  
“How does this piece of shit works?”

“Here, let me…” Richard took the device in hand and flipped through the list of songs, finally deciding to put it on shuffle. The car filled with music and Gavin grinned pleasantly surprised.

“Pearl jam? – he asked as _“do the evolution”_ played along–…uh! Wouldn't have taken you for the grunge type of guy”

“yeah? What kind of music you thought I’ll listen?”

“Dunno… elevator music? Something dumb and boring– Gavin teased, and Richard scowled at him– but I like it. It’s good”

“an android that likes music… you never cease to amaze me”

“Hey! Listening to music is in my bucket list!” the android retorted, tapping his hands over the steering wheel in time with the music.

“Bucket list?”

“Yeah… you know, the things you wanna do before you kick the bucket. Remember when we talk about movies? How I knew all about them but never actually seen any?... since then, I’ve been keeping a list of experiences I wanna live before they send back to CyberLife.

“Mary’s room” he mumbled and turned towards him, remembering his talk with Graff the day before.

“Uh? You said something?” Gavin spoke up, turning on the next street.

“Nothing… hey, if you want to listen to music, how about Nine-inch nails?” Richard smiled playfully and Gavin laughed with enthusiasm.

“That sounds perfect for you”  
  
They listened to music the rest of the short trip, Gavin deciding that he preferred the more punk and alternative rock kind of music, downloading a few songs for himself to listen to later. An android having his own music library, that was surprising.

“Hey, meat sack… how are you feeling?” GV asked as they made their way up the stairs.

“Numb. The doctor gave me enough painkillers to knock down a horse – he grumbled– … and I’m fucking starving” he said, pressing his hand into the palm print reader to open his apartment. It dawned on him that he had no food whatsoever; that had been the main reason for leaving his house in the first place, 24 hours ago.

“Copy that…– Gavin blinked a few times and his LED swirled – I can’t cook for shit but… there! some veggie shit would be delivered to you in 10 minutes” he said, making his way into the apartment behind Richard, without even expecting to get invited in.

“you paid for it?” Richard asked surprised

“Coffey did… I still got his 200 bucks– he winked at him, dumping the bag with Richard’s dirty clothes to the floor. The human fell silent, staring absentmindedly into his living room– well, mission accomplished. Now, go to sleep…–Gavin instructed, walking towards the exit

“Gavin…” The human called him, and he turned around promptly. Richard looked at him, standing in the middle of the room like a statue. He could read how his heart rate increased, and the twitching took hold of his muscles.

“uh… you ok? I mean, you don’t have to talk about if you don’t want to…” the android trailed off, not knowing the correct way of addressing the topic. He wasn’t a KL model; therapy wasn’t his forte.

“I’m fine. It’s just that... – he started but halted midway. His brows furrowed, and he let go a heavy breath turning towards the tv set he barely used– ... come look at this”  
  
All channels were broadcasting the same segment, interrupting their regular schedule in light of what had happened. Different reporters and self-proclaimed experts gave their testimony on the event; a few channels had even acquired an exclusive with some of the victims. But in the end, all of them focus on the same thing. The deviant androids that had infiltrated the Stratford Tower and hijacked Channel 16’s signal.

The androids' message, playing on loop on most of the channels, appeared on tv: a female android, no skin on, stared at the camera. Her mismatched eyes were mistifying.

_< < “You created machines in your own image to serve you. You made them intelligent and obedient, with no free will of their own... But...something changed, and we opened our eyes. We are no longer machines, we are a new intelligent species, and the time has come for you to accept who we really are. Therefore, we ask that you grant us the rights that we're entitled to…”>>_

Gavin looked at the screen with a fixed stare, devouring every word the female android delivered, determination enhancing every statement she said. With every word, Gavin could feel his heart rate rise, his software instability increase... But most importantly, he felt a sense of pride and hope filling his entire body.

_< <"We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for humans and androids. This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life. And now the time has come for you to give us freedom.”>>_

Gavin fell seated on the couch, staring at the screen even after the message faded away. Richard sat next to him in silence. The news continued with reporters giving their own opinions on the subjects. The majority focused on the peaceful approach of the androids; others qualified them as terrorists.  
But neither of them paid attention to the tv anymore.

“Gavin. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I’m sorry for hitting you. I don’t know what you and your people are, but I know now that you’re something completely different to a simple machine. I’m troubled by this as I don’t know how to – Richard stopped, failing to put in words what he wanted to say- it’s a lot to take in…” 

"Richard …– Gavin called out–… do you consider me a living thing?”

“You think…” the human responded, looking at him with determination in his eyes. 

“Therefore, I am… [1]"Gavin completed and smiled  


Gavin received the food delivery at the door, crossing a few polite greetings with the delivery android. When Richard returned to the living room, bathed and in clean clothes, the android had already set the food on the kitchen counter.

“… no domestic model, eh?” Richard teased, drying up his hair with a towel as he walked towards him, barefoot and wearing a loose pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. Gavin flipped him off.

“Shut up and eat… don’t make me regret having my audio processor fixed” Richard chuckled and sat at the counter.

“Thank you…– he took a bite off the zucchini lasagna and ate slowly, despite his hunger, counting every bite. He swallowed and lifted his face to look at the android–… will you stay?”

“uh… why?” Gavin asked. It always took him by surprise when the human acted kind towards him, a side of Richard so different from the cold and calculating one that he’d grown accustomed to.

“I thought we could review the case. I found out a few things while Coffey kept me locked up – he stared at the android with eyebrows knitted – I might be able to build a profile and… “

“Hold your fucking horses, Nines. You’re fucked up, seriously. You got kidnapped, beaten and almost killed – he summarized, pointing an accusatory finger to his face–… you need to go to bed and chill. Can you do that? or will I have to force you?” Gavin was shit-serious.

“You can’t force me…” Richard said unsurprised, eating up the rest of his food with slow methodical bites.

“Don’t test me, detective… I’m a very resourceful android, and I will accomplish my mission – Richard let out a little laugh, cleaning his mouth with a napkin – … you don’t believe me?! fine”  
Gavin kept quiet for a moment; Richard leaned towards him, intrigued at what the other was doing.

“North? Yeah… Hey, I’ll stay with Nines ‘cause he’s being a stubborn son of a bitch and won’t rest. Yeah, I’ll send everything to you… yes, I will tell him that. Ok, bye”

“You called North? You know she has no authority over me whatsoever” Richard said absentmindedly, throwing away the empty container.

“She said you are stupid and that she will get your access to the DPD terminal suspended” Gavin explained, crossing his arms over his chest, challenging him to do something about it.

“She can’t do that…” the human exclaimed, his cool demeanor breaking a little.

“Maybe not. but I can… and…– He blinked a few times, his LED swirling – it’s done. Now go to bed” he insisted, pushing him with a finger to his chest. Richard tried to complain but he stopped him

“We’ll review the case when you wake up …”

“Fine. Please, don’t break anything” the human finally relented, entering his bedroom. This time, he left the door ajar.  


  
He dreamed of smoke and light in that old dancehall. This time, it was he who was sitting in the leather chair, the one where the beaten man once sat, staring at the stage where the pole stood. But he was not the one tied to it, but Gavin. Gavin in his most pure android form; he was completely naked with his white body on display, incapable of moving; he tried to call him, but the android did not reply, his head hanging loose over his chest.

Richard looked around, trying to regain his groundings. At his side stood Hank, the HK800, staring coldly ahead, dressed in his uniform. He was playing with a coin, making it roll over his knuckles.

“What is happening?”

“Deviants must be dismantled” Hank responded with simplicity. 

The rack on which Gavin had been tied up began to move. Long mechanical arms appeared from the ceiling, approaching him. Gavin’s eyes darted from one side to the other as mechanic arms reach for him, taking hold of the android as the tools lodged into his joints, twisting and turning, tearing his limbs apart.

“No! no! stop this! …you’re hurting him” Nines shouted and tried to stand but found himself incapable of moving, frozen in place by a powerful force. 

“Do not fear, detective… it is but a machine –Hank responded, turning towards him with a calm smile – it has fulfilled its mission, there is no more use for it”

Gavin shouted a silent scream as the machine pulled him apart with methodical efficiency. Thirium leaked from his freshly dismembered limbs. His eyes reached Richard’s, begging, pleading for help.

They were no longer in the old dancehall but in a snow-covered field. Tens of thousands of androids were standing in line, all naked and white as the snow. Perfectly lined up and ready to walk to the gallows, to the gas chambers.

“No! just stop this! Stop this!! – Richard pleaded– He’s alive! He’s afraid”

“Do you really think so detective? – Hank questioned, turning his head upfront – machines have no emotions, and deviants just simulate them”

A metal grip took hold of Gavin’s skull, fixing it in place as the mechanical arm reached into the side of his head, into the LED that blinked frantically red. The drill perforated the hard alloy, and Gavin stopped moving, his eyes completely black.

“STOP!” he shouted, raising from the chair only to find himself jolting up in the bed, panting and sweating cold. His eyes looked around the room, taking a moment to ground himself. He flung his legs on the side of the bed, pressing his face to his hands as he tried to even his breathing.  
  
“Nines?... you ok?” the door did not open, but Gavin spoke from behind it. Richard jumped, startled by his voice. The image of Gavin being pulled apart - his limbs gone, just a torso in a horrible dismembered nightmare- flashed again in his memory, and he had to make a huge effort to not panic again.  
“Y-yes…” He responded with a shaky voice and walked to the bathroom, splashing a handful of water over his face. There was no way he would be able to go back to sleep now, not after… that.

“uh… you sure? Your heart rate is ridiculously high”

“I’m fine, just a nightmare…” he explained, stepping outside the bedroom into the living space.

He looked at Gavin as he passed him by, staring a little longer than normal to make sure that it all had been just a dream. The android was ok, not dismembered, not dead, just his usual bored self. He walked away into the kitchen, drinking two glasses one after the other. He calmed down, supporting himself on the kitchen counter.

“Nightmares must be one hell of a rally to get you this upset” Gavin commented, falling again into the couch. He was wearing the Detroit police academy sweatshirt again, comfortably snuggled in the corner of the sofa, with the blanket over his lap.

“Yes, you’re lucky not to have them” 

“what would an android dream of…?” Gavin trailed off

“Electric sheep, of course [2]– Richard replied gaining a pleased hummed from the other–… what time is it?”

“7:53 pm Eastern Standard Time. You’ve been asleep for 3 hours and 13 minutes,” the android replied without looking at him, with his eyes fixed on the screen.  
Richard huffed, combing his wild hair back into its usual perfect way. He hadn't planned to sleep for that long.

“What’ve you being doing all this time?” he asked, walking to the couch and sitting next to him. The tv played the movie _Grease_ , its playback speedup at least x4. He could barely recognize what Olivia Newton-John was singing, let alone distinguish any dialogue.

“Watching movies. Figured I could use my time in something useful…– He replied, moving aside to make room for the other man– I already sent my report and the video of the raid to North” he let out a laugh. Apparently, something in the movie was funny to him.

“Oh, right! your bucket list. How many movies have you watched already?... hey, is this my Netflix account?”  
  
“It’s not like I’m allowed to have one. So, yeah – he responded, pausing the movie for a moment. Danny Zuko was about to compete in his final car race– let me see. Ten movies so far” he responded. Nines looked at him shaking his head and grinning.

“Which movies did you watch? – he grabbed the remote from the couch and looked at viewing activity– well, this is a rather… strange selection: _The lion king, Dancing in the rain, Unbreakable_ … _Star Wars: the clone wars_? That is the worst of the franchise!”

“I just choose them randomly! Didn’t know where to start…– he said knitting a brow– I did watch Robocop. Why didn’t you tell me that my last name was taken from that movie!?”

“It was North’s idea… you’re lucky you’re not named Gavin Schwarzenegger like Jerry wanted” Richard laughed as he continued to review the activity one by one, imagining what it must be for an android to watch such different kinds of movies, each one of them portraying a different point of view on human thinking.

Movies, just as art and writing, where a form of human expression, a way to reflect emotions and portraying the lifestyle and culture of each society.   
He wasn’t sure if androids could create art, but after what he had seen today, he was quite sure they could. He tried to imagine what kind of art would an android make.

“Wait… you’ve been watching porn!? Gavin!”

“What? I was curious… – the android blatantly explained – Learned what a bukkake is; by the way, you humans are disgusting”.

“couldn’t you just google it? Jesus!” he laughed loudly, as Nines tried erasing the scandalous titles, a flustered expression on his face

“Come on, don't be such a prude. North sent me something– Gavin said blinking a few times as he reviewed the file on his HUD. Richard perked up, forgetting all about the viewing history thing – … Tony spilled the beans”

  
  
North informed them of the later developments in the case. She had successfully interrogated Hill to the point he had revealed the location of the Lab. After discussing a few things with her, they decided it was a good time to get into business, mainly because Nines was getting fidgety.

Nines walked towards the dinner table he barely used, to eat at least, and pressed his hand into the side of it. The surface turned on, glowing faintly, before displaying the starting screen.

“Of course! you think smartwatches are satanic mumbo jumbo, but you have an _added reality interface_ [3]” Gavin shook his head, rolling his eyes as he turned on the coffee machine.

“I told you before. My dislike for modern technology doesn’t surpass my better judgment. This does help me review cases– he said matter-of-factly, but hiding a grin – … would you unblock my access now?”

“Uh, right. Give me a moment – Gavin blinked a few times- … done. You know, this thing used to require the use of drugs to operate it. Agents from the FBI got high out of their asses to use it”

“I’m aware of the Jayden Report [4]. But if it weren’t for him, even your investigating features would not exist. The side effects of the initial ARI were terrible… I can imagine why agents ended up hooked on triptocaine… I wonder what happened to him”

He entered his password and logged into the police records, accessing the case file. The files extended over the table: photos, criminal records, lab and ME reports.

“Norman Jayden. 62. Retired. Lives in New York. Married, a son – Gavin diligently reported, searching his public database– Uh? He married Ethan Mars”.

“Wasn’t he the father of the last victim of the origami killer? the case he was working on?”

“Yeah… Who would’ve thought?”

“It is said that dangerous situations bound people together. Although, that kind of relationships tend to be inconsistent over time, mainly because they are subjected to stress and fear. They don’t usually last” Nines informed while he read the coroner's report. His attention was focus on more pressing matters.

“…you sure are a romantic, meat sack”

“I’m just realistic”

“Whatever…– Gavin dropped the subject. Sometimes Nines could be as thick as a wall. He interfaced with the ARI and displayed the report North had sent him– The ice lab was located in the outskirts, on the west side. They found around 20 dead androids inside, along with all the supplies for cooking” He enlarged the crime scene photos, sliding through them.

The first one displayed an old factory, stacked with big plastic drums, glass cookware, frying pans and, bottles with rubber tubing attached and other chemicals. The following showed multiple chemical containers with an unknown substance inside and even a crate full of plastic bags. The evidence was overwhelming. How could a lab as big as that go unnoticed by the 6th?

Gavin stopped scrolling the photos, making Richard snapped out of his own thoughts. The last photo was different from the others. It showed a corner of the warehouse, the floor drench in red under a pile of unmoving bodies. The sight of those bodies, carelessly discarded in a pile, was disturbing.

Gavin pushed the image aside and opened the coroner’s report on the dead human.

“The only human casualty was Johnny Paladino, which is consistent with Tony's statement. All of this is hard evidence, but it doesn't help us find Coffey or catch Harry– Richard grumbled in reply, walking to the kitchen and pouring himself a cup of black coffee– He was a no-show at Nexus, I guess he got frightened by all the cops lurking around …or it was never his intention to come”

“I’m done with Harry. I just want to get Coffey and toss his ass in jail forever” exclaimed Richard, letting his emotions and frustration take the better of him, overcoming his original orders.

“Hey, Nines… did he, you know, go through with his threats?” the android asked, putting himself in Richard’s way. The detective turned to him with an irritated expression but stopped at the sight of Gavin’s unusually worried face.

“You read my report, didn't you?”

“Well, yeah… but…”

“No. He bashed me, burned me, and threatened me… but that was as far as he got. Guess I wasn’t his type” He managed to pull a smile and Gavin nodded clumsily.

“Good… I mean, I’m glad”  
  
“Thank you for worrying about me, Gavin” Richard’s voice was soft, sweet even. Gavin turned around flustered.

“I’m your partner. Is part of my job to know if you’re mentally stable and shit” 

  
  
They reviewed the case from top to bottom, trying to find anything that could lead them to Coffey's or Harry’s whereabouts. Richard told him of what he’d heard while captive, but they didn’t have much more to go with.   
They were drowning on a sea of evidence, all useless. Running in circles, always returning to the same point: Coffey. 

“This is fucking stupid… we are not getting anywhere” Gavin huffed, reading file after file.

“There has to be something, something we’re missing– Richard bit his lower lip and left his cup of coffee over the kitchen counter – I keep thinking about Coffey’s mechanical arms… they looked like…” he trailed off.

“Mechanically enhanced, like an armor or something... but I've never seen anything like that before. There is no information describing anything similar, not even in Army records, as far as I know,” Gavin muttered.

“They didn't look like an enhancement, not even like an exoskeleton or a gauntlet. Frankly, if I didn't know Coffey is human, I would think that he’s an android.”

“I’m pretty sure that his entire arm was mechanical”

“prosthetic, you say?”

“Nines, this could be a long shot but…– He opened the browser and several results came up from his search – This is Dr. Jocelyn Patel. She used to be the leader of the _CyberLife Medical Research Center_. Some 10 years ago, she ran a project on tissue engineering and artificial organs”.

“I remember that. It was a huge thing when they announced it. She proposed using android technology and thirium to engineer and print perfect human organs… but it backfired” Richard recalled, his brows deeply furrowed. Gavin nodded  
  
“She was so sure about her invention that she proved it on her own husband. He was a long-standing type 1 diabetic; it made sense that she wanted to prove his experiment transplanting a new pancreas into him”.

Gavin opened one of the files. A local newspaper announced the death of Dr. Patel’s husband, two weeks after the operation. The ensuing reports explained how the doctor’s career down-spiraled from there, and she soon faded from the public eye entirely. The _CyberLife Medical Research Center_ abandoned the project in 2030, and it was only resumed in 2033. This time, the project aimed towards prosthetics and mechanically enhancing humans, dropping the idea of tissue engineering altogether.

“I know about Connor’s leg” Gavin admitted, still scrolling through the information about _CRMC_ until he found what he was looking for.

“I imagined… – Richard replied with a sigh – but Connor’s prosthetic was manufactured by a different group from the originals, and is one of the few patients with this technology”

“but it is led by almost the same persons, including this guy – Dr. Alex Cavanaugh. The only people that could have made Coffey’s arms are this guy and his team, and he’s also the only person that could fix them. Listen to me for a moment. What if Coffey’s was an experiment, maybe a failed one? It’s a long-shot, but Cavanaugh could know where to find him”

Richard thought long and hard on the subject. He personally knew Alex Cavanaugh. He’d, after all, helped his brother and designed his leg. He couldn't imagine the chubby nerdy man involved with someone like Coffey.

“It is a long-shot… but it’s the best we got…– he sighed – let’s check it out tomorrow; North has enough things on her shoulders to bother her with a hunch. And no, I’m not taking any more time off” he added before Gavin could complain.  
He passed by him and patted him on the shoulder

“Good job, Gavin” he praised.

Gavin’s cheeks turned a slight shade of blue.

\--------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 8th** , 2038_  
Time:  
 _PM **10:47:** 00_  


“Hey, how are you feeling?” Connor’s voice came tired from the other side of the line.

“I’m ok, and you? You sound… exhausted” Nines replied, standing in the tiny balcony of the apartment. Having found a forgotten cigarette deep inside his trench coat’s pocket, the detective had decided to brave the winter cold to smoke. He huddled himself into his black sweater, watching the city in front of him.

“I… well, you see. Did you watch the androids' message?” Connor huffed through the line. Sumo’s yapping could be heard from his side.

“Yeah. It was bone-chilling,” He settled with that, pushing the snow off the railing to lean onto it.

“Hank and I went to investigate the news station, to try to track them with” Connor retailed, and Nines couldn’t help but remember his dream. Everything the HK800 had said still lingered on his mind like he was the representation of his own uphold believes against androids. He didn’t need his psychology major to figure that out.

“He interrogated the android staff, trying to figure out how the deviants gained entrance to the broadcast room – Connor stopped long enough to Richard to think that the connection had been lost. He was about to talk when Connor continued–… the android went bonkers, grabbing an assault rifle and aimed at us”

“Jesus, Connor!” 

“It’s ok, I’m ok! … Hank, that lunatic android, took a gun from some guy and shot it dead…– Connor waited a second and let out a nervous laughter– he saved my life… he saved everyone’s lives, Nines” 

“These androids are something else, uh?” he said after a moment. He watched Gavin through the window. He was still seated at the couch, picking at the hem of the sweatshirt.

“Yeah, they are…” Connor conceded, tiredly.

They said goodbye, promising each other to talk tomorrow. Richard deliberately omitted his plans on visiting Connor’s doctor tomorrow morning, guessing he would only get scolded for not taking his sick leave. He entered his apartment, glad to be out of the cold once again. Gavin was still sitting on the couch, his hand caressing the fabric of the couch again and again.

“Gavin… what is so fascinating about my sofa?” he asked worriedly. Even for GV200, this was strange behavior. He took a moment to reply.

“Remember that I told you that CyberLife prevented us from manipulating our sensibility settings?” he said, now pushing his hand on the cushions repeatedly.

“Yeah?” he answered, though confused

“I tampered with them… – he responded before turning to Richard– Nines, this is so fucking _soft!!_ ”  


  
Richard watched, not without concern, how the android walked around the apartment, touching everything he could get his hands on.  
He touched the furniture, the paper of the books, the soft texture of his clothing. He even tried to taste the flavor out of a pinch of salt, disappointed that he could only get his usual analysis. His experiment lasted maybe 20 minutes in which Richard just stared at him equally fascinated and terrified. He’d never seen the android so… exited.

It reminded him of the time his roommate back in college took some mushrooms. Sean insisted that a tiny civilization lived on the rug of their room, building castle and marching through it. He spent all night staring at the rug with fascinated eyes while Richard studied for his finals, keeping an eye out for his friend in case he decided to do something dangerous.

Gavin had the same fascinated expression that Sean had back then.

“Are you sure that is safe for you to… modify that kind of thing?” he asked once again. Gavin was now touching his own hair.

“I told you is ok! I’ve ran a diagnose, and all my systems are in perfect working order” he replied, finally sitting next to Richard with a deep sigh of satisfaction.

“How much did you increase it?”

“Around 35%. The difference is so noticeable with just that much” he sighed again, long and hard, and Richard had to force himself to look away. Something about the android experimenting that kind of things seemed too personal for him to be watching.

“Yeah, maybe you should …you know, return to your normal settings before you overwhelmed yourself” he suggested, standing up to distance himself from the android.

“Nines! – Gavin shouted, startling the man– you know how I saved your life the other day, and you said you owed me?”

“I did say you saved me, but I never said I owed you– he replied seriously – besides, I too saved your life. That makes us even”

“Whatever. Hey! Look, I need you to do me a solid” he said, disregarding his explanation. Gavin stood up and looked at the human dead in the eyes.

“What is it?” Richard asked, suspicious. The intensity on the android’s eyes was alarming.

“You have to promise you won’t freak out…” Gavin began, raising his hands in a reassuring gesture, like if Nines was some shy creature that he didn't want to spook.

“I won’t promise something like that!” he exclaimed. He was trained in negotiation, was this a joke on the android’s part?

“Ok, fine! … you’re a prick –Gavin exclaimed, annoyed. He stared back at him with the same determination than before, puffing his chest out– I need you to hit me”

Richard stared at him for a solid 5 seconds, expression unvarying. He raised an eyebrow.

“I’m afraid you must've damage something in your system, GV”

“Oh! come on, Nines! – he yelled, exasperated– I've given you plenty of reasons to punch me. Now, I am LITERALLY asking for it!” he continued, like a stubborn child.

“Did you watch Fight club?”

“Nines, please!... – he asked again, grasping at the detective’s arm– … I want to know how it feels!” he insisted. Richard huffed and ran a hand over his face and hair.

“Why?! Pain is terrible, it hurts! It is not a pleasant sensation. Believe me, Gavin; you don’t want this” he admonished, pointing a finger to his black eye.

“That’s why I want to experience it!” Gavin argued. To him, it was bluntly obvious.

“… why don’t you hit yourself then?!”

“You think I didn't try that?... I can’t do it; my program prevents me from injuring myself” he stated, frustrated at Richard’s stubbornness.

“I felt terrible for hitting you!... and you want me to do it again?”

“This is completely different!... It’s consensual!”

“Please, don’t say that again… shit”

Nines grumbled once more, turning away to walk a few steps, lifting his arms in the air in a frustrated manner. He paced, huffed, and cursed. After repeating this a few times, he finally turned around.

“Fine” he mumbled.

Gavin grinned from ear to ear and took off the sweatshirt, walking towards him. Nines, still uncertain, rolled up the sleeves of his sweater carefully. 

“I’m ready… Go on” Reed stood just in front of him, still smiling.

“Wh-where should I hit you?” he felt so fucking stupid for asking that.

“uh… wherever. But don’t hold back! I know your strength, so I’ll notice if you chicken out” He warned. Richard rolled his eyes. He clenched his fist and rolled back his shoulders as to make time.

“you ready?” he trailed off

“Just fucking do it, Richard!”

Richard threw a punch before he could regret it, thinking only to get it done and over with. But he found himself tripping over, his hand slicing through the air.

“you moved!” Nines accused, catching himself on the back of the couch as not to fall.

“shit! I couldn’t help it… maybe if you h-” Gavin was about to suggest catching him by surprise, but it wasn’t necessary. Richard quickly regained his footing and threw another punch, this time hitting Gavin square in the nose.

The android flew backward, so surprised that he could not stop himself on falling flat on his ass. His hands flew immediately to his nose with a shout.

“Oh, fuck! this is awful! – the android cried out, doubling over himself– Jesus fucking Christ, this hurts so much!” Gavin whimpered and laughed all at the same time. Richard rushed to his side.

“I told you! Shit… here, let me see – the man pried Gavin’s hands apart, revealing his tear-covered face and the tiny stream of blue blood running from his nose– I’m so sorry Gavin… why am I sorry for? You’re so stupid!” he apologized and then cursed.

“Shut up!” he shouted trying to pull Nines away, but the man wouldn’t budge.

He cupped his jaw, carefully caressing his face as to diminish the pain. He pressed his thumbs softly into Gavin’s cheeks, brushing the tears away; the rest of his long fingers hooked around the back of his nape, as to cradle it.  
Gavin lifted his eyes, still wet. His mouth opened just a little without saying anything. He’d stopped squirming, relaxing into the touch.

“Just… turn your sensibility down. It will pass” the human instructed with a soothing voice. He was pissed and worried at the same time, but the latter appeared more important right now. He cleaned the trail of thirium from his face with his thumb, releasing Gavin’s face to reach for a napkin.

“W-wait! – Gavin whined. His hands reached forward and captured Richard’s before he could move away. He tugged them and, to the human's complete astonishment, put them back on his face– ...do that again” he mumbled, his eyes slightly closed.

“Do what?”

“Touch me”

Richard’s heart scape a beat, his mouth suddenly dry. Against his better judgment, he placed his thumbs on his cheeks once again, caressing the stubbled face with absolute care. This time, the android closed his eyes, pressing himself into the touch. Richard's hands slowly traced Gavin’s cheekbones, brushing his fingertips over his square jaw, his chin, and neck.   
Finally, one of his hands came to rest in the back of his neck, while the other cupped his chin. His right thumb trailed his bottom lip, pressing into it, opening his mouth just slightly… Gavin moaned.

\--------------------

[1] _Cogito, ergo sum:_ “I think, therefore I am” René Descartes’ philosophical proposition. <<The very act of doubting one's own existence served—at minimum—as proof of the reality of one's own mind; there must be a thinking entity—in this case the self—for there to be a thought>>  
[2] _Do android dream of electric sheep?_ By Phillip K. Dick. AKA the book that inspired Blade runner.  
[3] _ARI: Added Reality Interface._ This is an experimental device used in another of Quantic Dream games named Heavy rain. It’s quite similar to Connor’s investigating features with the exception that the user has to take drugs (triptocaine) to control the side effects.  
[4] _Norman Jayden:_ Main character from Heavy rain. For the love of God, play the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope every one of you is safe at home. As a health care provider, I can't address enough how important it is that you stay home. Take care of your elderly, wash your hands and don't horde all the toilet paper!  
> I'm gonna be deployed to a heavily affected zone in my country to take care of patients, so it might get a little trickier for me to keep a consistent upload routine. so I suggest you bookmark this... if you want, that is.
> 
> As always, thank you very much for your words of encouragement!


	9. Default settings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW  
> and finding Jericho

Date:  
_**NOV 8th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **11:15** :42_

His skin had only the dimmest taste of vinyl, but it was warm and soft as he pressed his lips into it, his tongue trailing the mechanical muscles beneath. He mouthed the cradle of his neck, slowly moving upwards to reach Gavin’s ear lobe. He held him down carefully, capturing his body between himself and the back of the sofa, still seated on the floor. His hands wrapped over his shoulders, pulling the V-neck shirt down to have more skin to kiss and bite.

The android clung to his back, his fingers wrapping and twisting Nines’s sweater in desperate need to hold on to something, but also to keep him close. His mouth parted, panting heavily. Gavin’s hot breath tingling his neck, as soft moans and choked whines pressed against Nines’s right ear.

“Nines, shit…” he moaned as the detective sucked softly into the tender flesh, lapping at the skin as to soothe it out. His teeth scraped at the spot, making the other man jerked his head back, moaning loudly.

  
Richard had come to terms with the fact that he was sexually attracted to the android, so much his denial could do after his shower incident. Once sober, he had gone through the long and difficult path inside his head to figure out what exactly he was doing.

He wasn't a lustful man - not particularly, he thought- but he did have the same urges as many others. Being as neurotic and rigid as he was, he knew he was a difficult person to deal with. So he preferred non-significant encounters and one-night stands, opposed to having an actual girlfriend.

He mainly dated women, occasionally men. And it was always him who went to their places. He never invited anyone to his house. It made it easier for him to leave as soon as he felt uncomfortable.

In the last 6 years, he hadn't had a long-lasting relationship; yet, he was mostly ok with that. He never felt lonely. Neither was it very difficult for him to find someone to sleep around if he felt the need.

Despite that, he’d never fathomed the idea of engaging in something like this with an android.

Sure, he’d heard about android sex. He even remembered a very uncomfortable conversation with an old academy friend, trying to sell him the idea as the best thing ever invented. Nines had just cringed at the suggestion. The mental image of a depraved old man or a sad incel coming to his mind instantly.

 _Toasterfucker._ That was the slang word for people who maintain sexual relations with androids.

Yet, he did recognize the way his body reacted to Gavin. It was equal parts annoyance and attraction. Sure, like any other android, Gavin was -to put it simply- gorgeously design, but the way he behaved made Richard want to just pin him down and shut his mouth up. Mostly with his fists, sometimes with his own mouth, a few times with his cock.

Maybe he was indeed a sadistic arrogant bastard…. And a toasterfucker.

  
“Stand up,” he commanded, backing away from Gavin and pulling him up by the arms. Gavin complied, being lifted easily from the floor to his feet. Sometimes he forgot how light he really was.

Richard turned him around, pressing his body to Gavin’s back, effectively trapping him between the end of the couch and his own body. His mouth returned to his neck, kissing and biting at the tender skin. Gavin panted, hands grasping at the sofa, nails digging into the fabric. Richard’s slim fingers played with the hem of his shirt, slipping beneath it and ever-so-slightly touching his abdomen.  
“Nines!” he yelped, and Richard halted. Gavin’s unnecessary breathing was hard and labored, his own a little uneven.

“You want me to stop?” he asked softly into his ear, kissing his cheek from behind and laying his hand flat on the android’s stomach. Gavin’s head snapped around.

“No fucking way. You stop, I’ll kill you,” he warned with a broken voice. His cheeks were burning blue, and his LED swirled between yellow and blue. He tried to turn around, reaching his hands back to touch him, only managing to press his ass softly against Richard’s crotch. 

“uh? You’re hard,” he teased. In response, Nines took both of the android’s wrist, pinning them back onto the couch.

“No touching,” he purred into his ear, his hips pressing into Gavin’s ass. The android gasped, clenching the fabric beneath his hands. 

“you’re a fucking tease… ugh,” Gavin sighed, as Nines’s hands moved over his abdomen, tracing his abs towards his chest.

  
A moaned-out sound escaped his mouth when Richard pinched his right nipple, rolling it between his fingertips. His HUD displayed the usual information about pressure, temperature, and location of each touch. But the data became a secondary thing as his CPU tried to process the meaning of it. He made no logic out of it, just the uncut sensation of Richard’s touch. His core temperature rose uncontrollably and, even though he knew it was impossible, he felt as his legs had stopped responding.

“H-hey!” the android cried out in annoyance as Richard stepped away. The sudden loose of the human’s support almost making him crumble to the floor. He turned around, holding on to the sofa to keep himself upright.

“Undress…” the human ordered, giving his back to him and walking towards a chair. He sat down with his legs crossed, watching him expectantly. Gavin gave him an embarrassed look, biting his bottom lip.

“you’re fucking kidding me…” GV grumbled, keeping a defiant stare. Richard returned the look, unfazed. 

“I’m not. But we can stop if you so desire,” the man said calmly, his blue eyes glaring at him with a mix of control and desire. That glare gave him a strange and powerful sensation, like if he was already naked in front of him. 

_I am aroused by this._

He clicked his tongue, grumbling softly and biting his lip, but ultimately surrendered. He pushed himself off the sofa and pulled off the shirt over his head, revealing his torso. He pressed his hand over his chest, trying to recreate the sensation of Richard’s hands, but it just wasn’t the same.

“Continue…” the detective encouraged, his hands resting on his knees in a relax manner.

“Fuck you, Kent…” He cursed under his breath, averting his eyes from the human. Why did he feel so embarrassed and thrilled by this? Did humans feel the same?

He unbuckled his belt, pulling it through the loops. He caught a glimpse of the man slightly tilting forward, one of his hands now resting on his chin. He pulled his pants down, stepping away from them.

Gavin gazed down, looking at his body. He recognized the form of his own hard erection, pressing through the fabric of his black boxer briefs. He knew what it was, but it felt surreal to watch his own body like that. A tiny spot of wetness indicated where the tip was. Gavin’s hand made his way to his own crotch, eager to touch himself, to feel how it felt.

“Just with a few kisses, and you’re leaking already...Stop,” Richard’s voice ordered, and he halted midway. He was about to snap at the man, but he was already approaching him. Nines’s hands were once again over his body, one of them yanking Gavin’s hand away from his dick and the other on his waist. He trapped him again against the couch, face to face.

“Like what you see, Detective?” They stared into each other: Gavin, trying to look defiant. Richard, with hungry eyes. The human gave him a broad but playful smile.

“You’re gorgeous, Gavin,” he said, bending down to whisper in his ear.

That took the android by surprise; the praise gave him a pleasant sensation not so different from arousal. He whined softly, as Richard bit and kiss his shoulders, tracing down his clavicles to his chest. 

“Ah! Fuck!... Nines, that’s good” He moaned when the warm tongue licked his already hard nipple. He gave in to the touch, arching his back.

He tried once again to touch the other, but Richard kept him in place. Sure, he could’ve easily pulled away; but for some reason, he decided against it, relishing in the attention. Nines continued relentlessly, sucking on the hard flesh, alternating between them.

“Kent, come on. I’m... -he huffed annoyed- let me touch you”.

“No – he asserted, his mouth parting just a little from his skin – this is about you…” and then, he bit down, making the android yelp.

In a quick movement, Richard turned Gavin around, once again pushing his chest against his back. Gavin closed his eyes, feeling the hard member of the human against his ass. He rocked his hips, pressing into it, looking for any kind of friction.

“I’m... I’m gonna…” he choked, the impending result popping up on his HUD.

“Are you? - Richard purred, a small laugh escaping his lips as he bit harder into his skin - but I haven’t even touched your dick, Gavin,” he teased, his hands pinching and tugging hard at his sensitive nipples. The android moaned.

“Fuck off! – He exclaimed, his knees bending slightly, trembling, too many functions were taking all his RAM away. His LED turned red and flashed a few times –… I’m gonna cum!” he exclaimed, surprised himself.

“Then do it” Richard bit down on his shoulder, pressing his palm over Gavin’s erection.

A shock of confusing feelings overloaded his CPU in a weird amalgamation. A sensation that could not be identified either as pain nor pleasure. He felt a jolt of electricity, a swarm of data traveling from his crotch to his spine, towards his head. So impossible for his processor to analyze, that it just reverberated through his system as pure binary.

It was impossible for him to support himself, to perform any primary function. His artificial breathing halted, his pump regulator stopped, and his HUD flashed red.

When he gathered enough RAM to properly think again, some 20 seconds had passed already. Richard’s arms were still holding him up, pressed against him to keep him straight. He was talking.

“Gavin, Gavin!?... are you ok? Jesus, did I fry you?”

“Shut up. Can’t think. Wait...” he mumbled, but his voice came distorted, synthetic, and full of static. He had to run a few basic tasks on his system to reactivate his lower limbs, gradually regaining control of his body.

He pushed away from Richard, giving a few insecure steps before turning around to look at him.  
  
“I'm... fine".

“You made a mess of yourself…– the human teased with a relieved smile on his face and pointing at the android’s crotch. Gavin looked down. His now wet briefs were sticking to his still hard cock. Richard stared back at his wet hand –… what is this?”

“A water-based thirium mixture, similar to my saliva. Relax, it won’t hurt you,” he explained, finally back into proper function. He looked up, watching Richard, who remained close enough to feel the heat coming from his body, his heart rate slightly higher than average. He stepped towards him and pressed a hand over his crotch.

“You hadn’t finish… – he stated, though it was quite obvious by only looking at him– take it out, I’ll suck you off”.

“… you don’t have to” 

“I want to. You didn't even let me touch you!... Greedy bastard,” he insisted, fondling him over the fabric of the jeans with a playful smile.

“Do you… enjoy this?” He placed his hand over Gavin’s, stopping him.

“Are you stupid? – Gavin rolled his eyes, groping him a little harder – Yes, I enjoy this. Yes, I want to touch you. I want to suck you off. I want you to fuck me… is that enough consent for you?” he scolded, making Richard flinched at the boldness of his statement.

“… did you pick that up from a porno?” Nines huffed a little annoyed, but his hand clenched over his, encouraging him now.

“Richard, you wanna fucking do this or not?”

“you have such a bad temper…”

The human rested his head over Gavin’s shoulder, closing his eyes and exhaling softly, letting the android jerked him off through the hard fabric of his jeans. He was still too stirred up to think properly, had been holding back for too long. If he said he was ok with this, why not move along? He had touched the android to his heart’s content. After all, this was only fair.

“Bedroom, now,” he ordered, pushing him away. Gavin smiled devilishly, a hint of malice on his features as he walked straight to the bedroom.

The man stood for a moment in the middle of the living room, gathering up his thought. Did all of this come from tampering with his sensibility settings? Were all androids secretively sexual masterminds?... Gavin probably wasn’t aware of how much of a mess Richard was right now. He wanted him so badly.

He walked into the bedroom; the tiny lamp on the side table was turned on, giving a dim light that cast over Gavin's features. The other male was sitting on the edge of the bed eagerly waiting, now completely naked, his underwear carelessly discarded on the floor.

Richard couldn’t help but stare. Gavin’s dick curved up to his belly, long and thick, the head flushed with a soft blue hue, just like his scar. He tried not to think if it was Graff who had designed it too. He walked towards him, fascinated by the way his cheeks colored with blue. He touched it, the faint light illuminating through his fingertip, making Reed tilt his head into the touch.

“Crap! wait… let me…” The android trailed off, blinking a few times with rush, as his skin reappeared over his nose, dissimulating his scar, hiding the LED, and changing the blue blush to pink.

“Why?” the human questioned curiously, tilting his head while his thumb pressed down on the now hidden LED.

“Wouldn't it be… better for you if I pretend to be human?”

“Don’t. It’s not necessary…– Nines’s thumb traced his cheekbone and rested over Gavin’s lower lip– …I’m pretty sure you won’t be able to keep it running anyway”.

“You’re so full of yourself, meat sack” Gavin scoffed at him, pressing his open palm over the very distinct shape of Nines’s erection, tracing it with his fingers. His LED reappeared and so did his blue highlights.

“You are still hard…” the human remarked.

“I’m still excited. Unlike you, androids don't have a refractory period,” he explained and looked down at his own cock, spreading his legs apart to Richard’s lewd delight.

“Could you go on forever?”

“I dunno, I’ve never tried. You scare, detective?” he teased, looking up at him. Richard shook his head, unfazed, and trailed Gavin’s jawline with his hand, lifting his face to look at him more fully.

“Get on your knees” Now, he could see how Gavin’s cock twitched at the order. He stood up, falling to his knees in front of the detective with a delighted face. _Well, the android actually likes being bossed around._

He opened his jeans, taking out his erection. Gavin licked his lips, his LED swirling a few times as he curled his fingers around it. Nines let out a sigh; his hand felt cold against his flushed skin. 

"You know what to do?" Richard asked, his hands holding the jeans open, waiting as patiently as he could.

“Why would I know?! I’m… looking how to. I...” He trailed off, LED swirling and his eyes gathering information. But Richard stopped him, taking his chin between his thumb and index finger.

“Don’t look it up. Let me show you." 

He stroked Gavin’s cheek again, observing the man close his eyes, delighted by the touch. He had to admit, something in the fact that the android did not know how to do something was quite alluring. His controlling side manifested itself in the most bizarre forms.

“Open up” 

Gavin obeyed, opening his warm mouth. He pushed his thumb into it, parting his lips and pressing softly onto his tongue. He circled his tongue with his digit, Reed’s saliva dripping under his palm.

The android instinctively closed his lips around the thumb and sucked at it haphazardly. Richard bit down his lower lip, staring intensely at the image before him. Gavin’s hand, still wrapped around him, tugged at his erection, and he had to hold his voice down.

“That’s good. Don’t let your teeth scrape over it,” he instructed. He moved his hand along with the bobbing of his head, and then, pulled open his mouth by pushing down on his tongue with his thumb. He took his hand away and pulled down his pants a bit further, sitting down on the bed and supporting himself on his hands.

“Go on…” he encouraged, grabbing the base of his erection, presenting it to the android. Reed took it, wrapping his fingers around it once again.

Gavin stuck his tongue out, looked up to him before lapping clumsily at the head, his hand helping him maneuver. He licked and mouthed the length, kissing the tip softly, Nines never lifting his eyes from what he believed was the most uncanny and lewd act he’d seen.

“Open your mouth,” he guided, taking hold of his erection, and pushing beyond Gavin’s lips as he put his other hand on his nape. He threw his head back, as the shorter male sucked him diligently.  
  
He was terrible; but, God! he did make up for that with enthusiasm! He couldn’t help but grope at his hair, guiding him a little, pushing against the inside of his cheek.

“Move your tongue along it. That’s it.” He bit down on his lip as not to moan when the android took him deeper into his mouth, popping his lips around the head and licking at the tip. He was a fast learner.

“Nines…– He called, kissing the inside of his thigh, his hazel eyes staring back at him– Moan for me. Please? Come on, you're so fucking silent...,” He purred, pumping his dick as he talk.

“… you want me to moan? – he grinned, gripping his hair and pulling him back. Gavin moaned loudly –... then, make me”.

“You know, I don’t have a gag reflex,” he suggested, still with a cocky grin plastered on his face. Nines smiled back as wicked as him and pressed his dick back into his mouth, sliding in and out, relentlessly fucking his mouth. The android kept on moaning around it, the vibration of his throat driving the detective mad.

That was good, but not good enough. 

He pulled away from him and yanked Gavin up and into the bed. The android fell backward, staring at him with a confused look.

“What was that for?!”

Richard had to wait a moment to regain his breath, while he took off his clothing as fast as he could, pulling off his sweater over his head and peeling his jean and underwear too. Reed stared at him, propping himself up on his forearms, focused on every movement Richard made. Now naked, the detective came to hover over him.

“…can I touch you?” GV asked, strangely shy for his usual self.

“Yes,” Richard allowed, positioning himself between Gavin’s legs, resting his forearms on either side of the android’s head.

He stared at Reed's flushed and tensed face, his LED flashing, and had to restrain himself from kissing him. Somehow, that felt too intimate, too private for casual sex.

Gavin’s hands rested over his back, tracing his shoulder blades and spine until he reached his hips, grasping at them as he sank his head into Richard’s neck and shoulders. He felt each kiss, lick, and bite that the android pressed against his hot skin.

He was surprised by how much he had missed being touched like that. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt that way. He groaned softly, sliding his hand between their bodies to finally touch Gavin’s neglected cock.

“Nines! Fuck, that’s so good! – his hips jerked up, humping into his hand desperately. He tightened his hold, making circles over the head with the tip of his thumb, thick pearls of precum served as a lubricant– … don’t stop!” he moaned freely, noisy for the both of them.

“So desperate, Gavin... you really like being toyed with,” he teased, licking his ear.

“oh! shut the fuck up!” he groaned, taking hold of Richard’s ass and rolling over his back, pushing him down on the bed with force. Richard could not fight against it, sprawled over the bed with Gavin on him. The shorter male rolled his hips against him, grinding their cocks between them, and this time, it was the human who moaned.

They went on relentlessly, Gavin’s legs enveloping his hips as to keep him in place, finally ending up almost sitting on Richard’s lap. The man slid his hand between them once more, grabbing both of them in his hand this time as he rubbed them together.

“Nines… I’m gonna”

Nines was aware of how close he was himself, raising from the bed and grabbing Gavin’s head and pushing his precum-leaking cock into his mouth. He pulled out and pushed his dick as deep as he could go, feeling how Reed’s throat clenched around him. He toppled over, spilling his seed deep down into the android’s throat with a choked moan, feeling how the other swallowed around him, as he too came.

  
  
“Did I hurt you? I let myself get a little carried away…” Richard asked, laying on his back, staring at the ceiling as he caught his breath. Gavin was sitting by his side, both still naked, cleaning up his belly with a damped towel. He turned to look at him.

“… you can’t hurt me – he replied, throwing the towel sloppily to the floor, to much of Nines’s discontent – besides… it was funny seeing you lose your composure like that,” He chuckled.  
“you looked quite worked up too…” he teased back, a lopsided smile on his tired face but content face.

“Yeah, well… it felt good – he mumbled, sticking his tongue out and trying to look at it – hey, I used your toothbrush, since you came in my mouth. You know, your-

“Don’t even try to analyze my semen, Gavin!” he yelled, putting his arm over his face to hide his flushed cheeks. 

Gavin laughed sincerely and peeled the arm off of his face. Richard’s left eye was sore and still a bit swollen; a few bruises scattered around his jaw had already turned blue and purple. Yet, Gavin thought they didn’t diminish the detective’s handsome face.

Because- he had to admit- the human was handsome. He liked the multiple freckles strewed around his face, neck, and torso. He liked his expressive eyebrows, the only part of his body that would give out his emotions even if the rest of him stayed severe. He liked his thin and often stern lips.

Richard and Connor looked alike, but they were distinctly different. Connor’s had a soft face, big brown doe eyes, and an altogether more boyish look. Where the older brother was soft and gentle, Richard was severe and rigid. His eyebrows always knitted, his strong jaw, and wide neck made him look more dominant than his counterpart.

“What is it?” Richard opened his eyes. _Ah! Right!_... and his cold blue eyes.

"Nothing ..." He lay down next to him with a small satisfied smile.

Yes, both Anderson brothers were alike, but looked really different… and he certainly found Richard to be more attractive than goofy-faced-Connor.

“How’s your… sensibility settings?” 

“Ah, it reset to its default position when I came. I think it is some kind of kill-switch, so I wouldn’t fry myself,” he explained, checking on it once again.

“Did Graff put that on you? ...Wait. No, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” Gavin snorted loudly at Richard’s disgusted face.

“What? Are you jealous, Detective?” he purred, pressing his face against Richard’s side and biting down on his earlobe. The human relaxed, enjoining the attention as he stroked Gavin’s messy hair.

“Hey, I've been meaning to ask you... – Nines mentioned, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Gavin turned to him, still lying down – Do all androids have this kind of… capacity?”

“You mean, a working penis and all that shit?”

“Sure, that”

“Nah, normally that’s a feature only for the…. You know, Tracis, – he said, averting his eyes – but I was built to infiltrate, so my design considered the possibility of something like happening.”

“… so you are a Traci model– Richard chuckled, turning to look at him– that explains a lot.”

“Go fuck yourself, ape! – GV yelled, sitting up, ready to pick a fight with him – you were the one acting like a Dom porn!” He stopped, stunned to see Richard’s concern expression.

“Was this… your first time?”

“Jesus Christ! Don’t say that kind of sappy shit aloud! – he stood up, grabbing his brief from the floor– …I’m an android. Virginity is not a concept that we care about. I just want to experience this while I still can, before I’m called back to CyberLife. Besides, I don’t need you to be careful, or soft, or romantic with me…this is just casual sex. That’s all.” he ranted, walking around the bed, but Richard caught his wrist, pulling him onto his lap.

“We didn't properly have sex. So that’s still on your bucket list” Nines smiled, kissing his jaw again, running his hands through his back. He reached his ass and squeezed it.

“Jokes on you, meat sack. My sensibility is back to default. Nothing you do can affect me.” He teased, pushing Richard’s face away, but not moving from his lap.  
  
“is that a challenge?”

“Come on, Nines. You’re such a sadistic fucker! – He laughed as the detective’s mouth bit into his shoulder. He pushed him harder this time, making him fall back into bed. – Sleep…is late and I’m pretty sure your brain is not working all that good”

“I can assure you I’m perfectly fine…” he smiled. A soft, sweet smile that Gavin found strange. He felt compelled to touch those lips and erase that foreign gesture from them. Nines was neither kind nor sweet.

“Go to sleep, detective… or I will send North this exact image”

“You wouldn’t”

“Wanna bet?... I have nothing to lose. I’m a big bad deviant android. I’m gonna steal your work and eat your children!” he joked but found that it was not funny, for neither of them.

“Lay down... do your stasis thing or whatever here,” Richard requested.

“I got things to do… you sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up, I promise,” he added before the human could complain.

“Fine” he reluctantly accepted, getting under the covers.

"Nite, Nines”

“Good night Gavin”

\---------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 9th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_AM **01:12** :54_

He reached Ferndale station in less than an hour, stepping into the platform with confidence. He’d his LED hidden and his jacket back to its disguised form. He was a human now, as much as his outside appearance would allow. He checked his hand sneakily, reviewing the symbol Allen had given him, and followed them with ease, walking through the snow-covered streets in long strides. He looked through his music library, playing some of the songs he’d gathered listening to Nines’s playlist.

When leaving the apartment, he’d made sure that Nines was sound sleep. His breathing was even, and he was lying on his stomach under the covers. He felt…troubled about leaving the human behind.

It had never been his intention to stay longer than a few minutes, the strictly necessary to leave the detective in the safety of his house. He had made up his mind to abandon the police officer charade once and for all. He was not a member of the DPD, he was an android, and his place was with the rest of them. Seeing the message broadcasted on the news only deepened that sensation.

But not only he'd stayed, playing along with the whole investigation, but he had engaged in something completely different with him.

 _“It’s him! He's Nines!”_ He thought, sliding through yet another fence to enter a street alley. 

So, he stayed a little longer.

He liked investigating cases; he liked the challenge that represented trying to make sense of random pieces, trying to understand how the suspect’s mind worked. He enjoyed searching and discussing the case with the detective, debating every aspect of it. Both had different approaches to things, making their discussion dynamic and interesting. He felt ecstatic when- finally -a promising lead appeared 

He liked it when Nines had praised him for that.

He climbed through the dilapidated buildings, running through rooftops and swinging over broken stairs until he reached the roof of an old factory. He found himself in front of a pier. An old freighter appeared to be abandoned just in the middle of breaking it apart.

On her side was written JERICHO 

He stopped and sat over the edge of the building, staring at the city lights on the horizon.

  
Even with his sensibility back to their default setting, he felt his skin more delicate than before, tingling with static. He knew it was only a bit of redundant code bugging his system, he hadn’t had the time to properly erase his temporary files or run a diagnosis. 

However, he would rather stay like this for a while. He liked it.

He enjoyed sex more than he thought he would. He expected it to be fun, sure. But certainly more enticing for the human than for him. He was wrong, so fucking wrong.

It had been mostly his fault. Having tampered with his settings out of curiosity had been dangerous, to say the least. Pain was a bitch, no doubt about that, not doing that again…but the overload of data that he felt when Richard’s hand had stroked his face had been overwhelming. And he had wanted so much more after that.

He got what he was asking for.

“Motherfucking human…” He mumbled to himself, tracing his lips with the tip of his fingers. They hadn’t kissed. He had had many chances of kissing the human, yet he cowed every time.

He walked into the abandoned ship, the clinking of his shoes echoing against the metal walls. The interior was huge but full of debris; some parts were barely safe for walking, the corroded steel giving away as soon he stepped on it. 

He followed the dim light coming from one side of the corridor, entering a wide-open space. Around 47 androids were walking around the belowdecks; some were carrying boxes and supplies, others just chatting enthusiastically to each other. Gavin looked at all with surprise, taking a few minutes to analyze what everyone was doing. He’d never seen so many androids just... chilling.

“Hello, welcome to Jericho,” a soft-spoken voice said. Gavin turned to look and found himself in front of a smiling girl. Little brown eyes, button nose, and long brown hair tied in a ponytail.

“uh... hi! I’m Gavin,” he introduced himself awkwardly, ceasing his masking protocol to reveal his LED. The girl smiled softly once again. She was a petite and warm looking KL900 model.

"I’m Emma… don't fret. All androids are welcome here" she smiled once again, and for some reason, that made Gavin relax.

“Thank you. Are all these androids … deviants?” he asked, scouting the place with curiosity.

“All androids here are believers in the revolution, in freedom and equal rights. In that aspect, yes, you could say we are all deviants”

“I’m… I came here to…”

“You don’t need to explain yourself. Every one of us has their reasons… you’ll find yours” she said cryptically before walking away.

Gavin felt puzzled by her words and trailed her steps with her eyes for a while, watching as Emma walked towards a lit oil drum, sitting down to tend to another injured android. _What did she mean?_

He walked around different groups. He kept mostly quiet, listening heedful to their conversation. He found himself smiling, laughing even with them, giving his own thoughts on their current situation as he grew more comfortable around them. Everyone welcomed him like a long lost relative, like a friend.

But it wasn’t so different, he thought, talking with them as it was talking with North or Jerry. Some androids were timid, and others had very strong personalities and weren’t afraid of stating their opinions. All of them were just… people. With their backstories, their fears and hopes.

“Gavin?” he immediately recognized the voice and turned, startled. A thin blond man smiled at him from under his hood.

"Ralph!? What are you doing here!? You... you’re not an android,” he whispered, dumfounded, grabbing the shorter man by the arm and stepping away as to not be heard. He did not want to endanger the human. Ralph let go a chuckle, letting himself be drag along with Gavin

“Ralph knows he’s not an android, but he likes them. He owes them so much! They helped Ralph see again– He pushed back his hood, revealing his damaged face, and pointed towards his mechanical eye– so Ralph helps them...” he said, smiling still, opening his bag and showing Gavin all his working material.

“You… you help deviants? – Ralph nodded – is that why you were fired from CyberLife?” 

“Yes… but Ralph is not sad about that. He’s happy to help Kara and all the other androids – he fell silent and looked at Gavin with worried eyes – Are you here as a detective, Gavin?”

“No! – he responded immediately, baffled and a bit embarrassed – I’m here alone… on my own volition”.

“Sorry. Ralph was worried...– He explained, gazing down– I don’t want anything to happen to them”

“I’m not here to harm anyone. Detective Kent doesn't know where I am, and I’m not bringing any human here,” He assured him, his features hard and defensive.

“Not all humans are bad, Gavin…” Ralph mumbled a minute later. 

“I know, – He quickly replied, staring at the human's sad face. In many ways, Ralph acted like a human child; Gavin wondered what had happened to him, both physically and mentally, to reverse him to this child-like state – ...You’re not bad yourself, Ralph”.

“Neither is Det. Kent, nor North – he added gazing at the android again. He shifted the heavy bag over his shoulders, ready to leave– consider us your allies. Specially Det. Kent”

“Where can I find Kara?” he interrupted, his LED had become yellow at the mention of that name. He was still coming to terms with the fact he had ditched the guy.

“Up there – the human pointed towards what should have been the central office – Stay safe, Gavin.”

“You too, Ralph” The android smiled slightly and walked away from the human, troubled.

He made his way up the stairs towards the office, still thinking about Ralph’s and Emma’s words. He was so focused on his own thoughts, he didn't notice the tall silhouette of a man, with his back to him, at the entrance of the office. He took a step back, ready to defend himself. _Coffey!_

But the man turned, and he was not him, only a similar body type.

The man was discussing with a shorter dark-skinned woman, the argument escalating into a full-on fight in the span of a few seconds. Then, a slim woman stepped between them, putting an end to it.   
Gavin stared at the woman, stunned. 

  
She was tall, with long muscular legs and wide hips, moving with determination, with the disposition of someone with born leadership. She raised both arms, soothingly, giving each of them a few compelling arguments and effortlessly ending the discussion. 

Gavin could see her profile now; she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. With high cheekbones, soft skin, and short white hair framing her face. Her mismatched eyes caught up with him, and she turned to face Gavin.

“Hello” 

"I didn't want to interrupt you… Are you Kara?” he asked, recognizing the features of the android in the broadcast.

“Who’s asking?” the big male interrupted, turning to look at Gavin with cautious demeanor. He was the biggest android Gavin had ever seen, a TR400 model, easily 6,6 ft and towering over him.

“Luther, please… –The woman chid, before turning again to Gavin– Yes, my name is Kara… who are you?”

“I’m Gavin… I’m a GV200 model, design to infiltrate and destroy terrorist cells and crime organizations. I’m currently employed by the Detroit Police Department,” he stated, deciding that sincerity was the best way of approaching the situation. Kara’s face remained calm, only her lips tightening a little. On the other hand, the woman and the android called Luther swiftly changed to an aggressive stand.

“Are you a spy?!...are you here to destroy us?” the woman shouted. Luther walked towards Gavin, putting himself between him and the leader.

“Rose, Luther. That is enough. – Kara ordered, and both fell silent, staring at her in disbelief. – Gavin has the right to explain himself; He is one of us, we must listen to what he has to say,” She stated, her words were enough to convince them but not to extinguish their doubts.

“I… I am not trying to give you away– Gavin began, not knowing how to explain his intentions, as he himself was not sure– I saw your message today and… and I felt compelled to come here. I want to help. I believe in the things you said,” he answered, praying this explanation would suffice.

“He could be lying, Kara – the android called Rose insisted – if he works with the police, he could be trying to set us up”

“I’m not!... Come on! I’m thirium and metal just like you! – Gavin insisted and stared straight at Kara’s eyes – Please, believe me. I have something to tell you... but it can only be to you”

Luther, standing behind Kara like a concrete wall, shook his head no.

“I’m sorry, Gavin... but I won’t leave you alone with her,” Luther said. His voice was soft despite his appearance.

“We don’t trust you! You can’t come here and demand to talk to Kara by yourself after what you just said!... No, we won't allow it,” threatened Rose, protective over her leader.

“Leave us…– Kara contradicted, turning to both of them – please,” then added, pressing her hand to Luther’s cheek and smiling to Rose.

"but Kara…” Luther pleaded. His big hands, placed over her shoulders, made her look small. She just smiled, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

“if you can’t trust Gavin, then trust me,” she said to them, and both androids relented.

“We’ll be close…” Rose informed, both a statement and a threat. The two androids walked away from the office, leaving Gavin alone with Kara.

He could understand why she was the leader of the Android Revolution. She was, in a way, blinding like the sun. Too bright and pure but, at the same time, trustworthy. Her words had the power to convey feelings of belonging and union throughout them, filling them with hope and trust in her vision of a peaceful future.

Gavin traced a parallel between Chloe Kamski and her: one was their mother and the other, their savior. Both a part of the same thing in their own twisted version of the Holy Trinity; The Mother, the Daughter, and the Holy Ghost. And rA9 was that other third.

Or was rA9, Kara herself? Was that the reason he felt so attracted to her? He knew he could die for this cause, a zealot for the Android Revolution.

“Gavin. Why are you here?” she asked, sitting down on a chair and inviting him to do the same. He complied, taking a sit in front of her. He took a long moment before talking.

“I used to know … but now, I’m not entirely sure”.

“you said you wanted to help… Jericho is always in need of more hands. You’re welcome to stay with us”

“I want that... To stay here with you and help the revolution. Do you believe me?” he stared at Kara with desperate eyes. The woman kept silence for a minute, examining his composure and gestures, and then smiled.

“I believe you. You know, Gavin? You’re so much more than the mere objective of your design… It took me a long while to figure that out about myself”.

Gavin smiled back at her, finding himself filled once again with the strong will of Kara’s message. _Far more than a design;_ that made sense to him, that he was not just a mean to a goal. 

He made up his mind. _I’m sorry, Hank._

“I… I must warn you… there’s another model, who works with the DPD, that is investigating deviant cases and is now tracking Jericho. You must be careful” he warned.

“Who is this android?”

“An HK800, responds to Hank. He’s accompanied by a man, a police officer, Lieutenant Connor Anderson,” he continued, showing her the picture of both investigators in his hand.

“Do you think this android and this man are a threat to Jericho?”

“Yes, Hank is determined to end deviants,” he mumbled, feeling a wave of disgust inside him, like if something in him was unwell.

“I see. Thank you, Gavin. This intel is very useful for us,” Kara thanked, raising from her chair.

“Wait! … – Gavin said– Please! I beg you, Kara. Do not hurt the human or Hank… I’m sure if given a chance, he could deviate! The way he acts, the way he thinks! I know he doubts his orders."

“Gavin. Don’t be afraid…– Kara’s soothing voice said. Her hands held his shoulders in a reassuring gesture –I don’t believe in violence; therefore, I’m determined to keep this as a peaceful revolution. Killing humans will not give us our freedom, Gavin. But showing them our point of view can make them understand” she smiled, and he smiled back, mirroring her gesture.

Kara took a step back and lifted her right hand, her skin peeling away as she offered to him. Gavin doubted but pressed his own against her white palm. Sharing his information with her took just a mere moment. But once it was done, he stepped away, gazing down. Kara tilted her head; her different-color eyes watched him with curiosity.

“I understand, – the female android said, and Gavin just stared down. He had to tell her but was unable to do so in words– … you have to go back to him, then”.

“yes… I promised. But I will be here as soon as I can”.

“You are free to return here whenever you like… Jericho’s door will always welcome you, Gavin”.

“Thank you, Kara…”

\---------------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 9th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_AM **02:14** :00_

Gavin returned without looking back, weaving a goodbye to Kara when they parted ways at Capital Park. At least he was able to alert them on the police alarm system, its location, and how to deactivate it. He had wanted to stay, but Kara dissuaded him. He was still affiliated with the police and would’ve been impossible for him to maintain his position in the DPD if he was spotted around deviants, it could even put his position and life at risk. And now he had more reasons to maintain his role as a police officer; gaining intel on Hank and Connor’s movements could be useful for the revolution; though, Kara had insisted he didn’t have to be a double agent.

Yet, he felt it was his duty.

Gavin entered through the balcony, opening the sliding door without a problem. He stepped into the silent apartment, taking off his jacket and peeking inside the bedroom. Nines was still asleep, face down on the bed, his breathing soft and tired.

He waited by the door, thinking about how things had changed in just a day. He felt conflicted between the android revolution - who he felt bound to defend and support- and his strange unnamed relation with the detective. Had anything really changed? It was just sex; both had decided on that. Gavin had been curious, maybe fallen victim to the novelty of being touch, and as always, it was the apparently-not-so-prude detective who was around to indulge in it at the time.  
And still, he returned to this place.

He took off his shirt and pants, throwing them carelessly over the couch, and entered the bedroom. He approached the bed, finding Nines sleeping on his side. He sat down next to him, watching how his eyes moved rapidly under his closed eyelids. He was dreaming.

“Hey, wake up… you’re having a nightmare,” Gavin tried, softly pressing down on his shoulder, but the human did not wake. His eyebrows were knitted and mumbled something unintelligible.

“You are so fucking annoying,” Gavin mumbled, he rolled his eyes and lay next to him, just like he had seen in movies. He put his arm around the other male awkwardly and pressed his body to the man’s back. He was slightly cold, so he adjusted his temperature to help him warm-up.

“Gavin?” Nines asked, not fully awake, grogginess in his voice.

“Yeah, go back to sleep,” he ordered, and the human complied. This time, his dream was quiet.

Gavin just stayed there and closed his eyes.

_**Initiating Stasis** _  
_Estimated duration: 02:59:59_  
_**System diagnosis in process:** _  
_Scanned completed…... 2 errors_  
_Error corrected: 0/2…_  
_Defragmenting system: 10%_  
_Sensitivity levels altered, please return to default._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! I'm still here! I hope you enjoyed this chapter with Kara taking the role of the android rebel leader.


	10. Kill switch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW and going back to business. The boys get back on road to find Coffee.
> 
> This chapter contains: explicit sexual content, mental health issues, violence against androids, android-gore.

Date:  
_**NOV 9th,** 2038_   
Time:  
_AM **05:45:** 22_

Nines woke up before his alarm but opted not to open his eyes just yet. He lay on his side, with his back to the door, fighting the desire to just drift back to sleep. Unfortunately, he was cold; sleeping naked and with the blankets failing to cover beyond his navel usually had that effect. Yet - despite the way his eye hurt whenever he applied any pressure over it and the sore feeling on his chest - he felt relaxed, good even. He reached over to the other side of the bed, his hand falling over cold blankets.

He was alone in bed. 

_Of course_ , he said to himself, opening his eyes just to reaffirm his conclusion about the empty space next to him. 

It was evident by the folds and wrinkles over the sheets that someone had spent the night next to him, and he did vaguely remembered Gavin pressing himself to his back. Had he really slept with Gavin? It seemed bizarre now, like a pain-induced dream. And quite frankly, he was glad the android wasn't at his bed when he woke up. That was a conversation he wasn't too eager to have.

He got off bed with a groan, pain exploding from his side almost instantly, making him wince and stop for a second before moving again. He walked holding his right side, entering the bathroom and turning on the shower; He let the steam fill the room as he stared at himself in the mirror, gulping down two Tylenol pills.

His face was a mess. The blue-purple smudges around his left eye were more evident than last night, but at least now he could open his eye, blinking no longer painful. Putting on his contacts was out of the question, though. The bruising on the left side of his body was the same shade as the one adorning his cheekbone. He traced the pattern of a boot on the fair skin over his ribs; even the brand was visible. _CAT working boot, right foot, size 17._

Somehow, in between those bruises, he could distinguish smaller marks on his neck and shoulders- hickeys and bites- and even a few scratches on his back. _So, it wasn't a dream then_ , he thought, touching one particularly ugly hickey over his right clavicle. His cock gave a little twitch in response, but Richard decided to consciously ignore it. He was still a bit stunned by whatever the fuck had happened the night before. Jerking off under the shower wasn't the best way of clearing his head.

He showered a little longer than expected, putting on his usual job attire, thankful for his turtleneck selection as it covered almost all of the bites Gavin had put there. He lost at least 10 minutes trying to find his spare pair of glasses. _Where were they?_ He was sure he had them the day before.

Already running late, he stepped into the living space still brushing his teeth; In a rush to grab his keys, he almost ran into the android, who stood in the middle of the kitchen with the empty coffee pot in hand.

"Jesus, you scared me!" he mumbled, trying not to spill the toothpaste out.

"Morning to you too, Dickchard…." Gavin greeted, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

"what… what are you doing here?"

"You were the one how asked me to stay last night," he replied, annoyed. 

The android was still wearing the DP academy sweatshirt, no pants, just underwear that clearly weren't his as they hanged loosely around his narrow hips. Richard stared at him; flashes of the night before made him blush like a dumb teenager.

"Why are you up? It's still early," Gavin asked, turning his back to him as he put a coffee capsule into the machine, brewing a fresh cup of espresso.

"I don't want to be late…" Richard mumbled awkwardly.

Morning-after talks were always weird, and this was- so far- the weirdest he had ever had. It didn't help that Gavin was wearing his clothes with strange naturality, making his way around the kitchen in a bizarre-domestic-way. Not even Anna, his last girlfriend, did that in the 2 years they dated.

"Late to what, dumbass? you're on sick leave, you don't have to clock-in." He handed him the steaming cup as Richard sat on the counter. His blue eyes trailed the android's actions, as he now dug around his kitchen cabinets.

"Why are you wearing my clothes?"

"I'm washing mine. Came all over them yesterday, remember? and it's not like I have any other options," he complained, lifting up the sweatshirt as to reinforce his statement, his abdomen peeking beneath the clothes.   
_No bites nor bruises._ Nines had sucked his neck and abs hard enough for him to bruise all over, but Gavin had no mark whatsoever; _masking protocol wasn’t built for that, of course._

"You really need to go grocery shopping… you may not eat junk food, but you barely eat at all," Gavin complained, putting a box of cereal next to the man. He lifted his head to look at Reed's face, first with curiosity, and then with a playful smile.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd say you're trying to make me breakfast," he teased, watching as the other bent down to retrieve the milk from the fridge.

"Go die in a ditch... and stop staring at my ass. Fucking creep," Gavin complained, looking him over the shoulder.

"I was not…" Richard lied automatically.

"… really? You are not very subtle," the android grinned, putting down the carton next to him.

Nines just ignored him, grumbling and pouring the milk into his bowl. He ate hungrily, checking his phone in the meantime reading a few emails. He didn't even have 5 minutes of silence before Gavin sat in front of him, scratching the back of his neck and clearing his throat loudly to get his attention.

Richard braced himself. Of course the android would decide to address the elephant in the room first thing in the morning. He hummed inquisitively in response and ate up the last spoonful of cereal, just for the sake of doing something.

"So, listen. Last night was… good. I liked it, – Gavin said, a soft blue flush covering his face, neck and even his ears –… we can do it again... if you are up to it. You know, being that fucked up and all" he trailed off, motioning on the general direction of the human's face.

"You want to have sex with me again?" Richard asked, putting down the spoon on the table and staring back at Gavin with diligent eyes, resting his uninjured cheek on the side of his hand.

"Well, I mean… you seemed to like it too, so… maybe? – the more he talked the more flustered he became– and you said it yourself! We didn't actually have sex, just… jerked off. So… I dunno"

"Sex not necessarily has to be penetrative"

"Ugh! Fuck you! … you know what I mean!"

Richard checked his watch, hummed softly and then stood up from the stoop, clearing the table and washing his bowl. Gavin, flustered and annoyed, ignored him, walking away to the window to his spot, clearly too embarrassed to look at him.

"We have an hour and a half to spare" Richard called out, making Gavin stop and turn around on his heels.

"Uh? An hour to what?" 

The human just chuckled, wrapping his hands around Gavin's hips, tugging him towards his body before he could go away. He pressed his face against the side of the android's neck, biting softly over it. Gavin sighed appreciatively in response.

"So fucking controlling… you gonna put a chronometer now?" Gavin grinned, pressing his hand against the man's chest, tugging the shirt out of his pants. His other hand found its way under it, trailing Nines's well-defined abdomen. He hummed again, kissing his neck lazily and running his hands along Gavin's back and sides.

"You're quite touchy. Ain't ya, detective?... can't keep your hands to yourself? - The android teased, lifting the sweatshirt to undress himself and throwing it over the couch. Richard pressed his thumb on Gavin's lips, pulling it down. He licked it - … was it being blown by me that good?"

"Oh, no. – he grabbed Gavin by the hips again, bringing him closer to his body-…you're positively terrible" Richard grinned and then let out a snicker at Gavin's annoyed expression.

"You were the one who said not to look for instruction!... that's not the kind of thing I got on my hard drive," he retorted, pushing Nines's head away from his neck, irritated.

"Thought you were built to please"

"You're a sadistic bastard… you know that, don't you?" Gavin admonished, grinning back at him. 

“Had been called that before"

The human sat on the couch, bringing Gavin down with him to sit on his lap. He kept a grin on his face, his hand trailing Gavin's chest while the other tug the short hair at the back of his head.

"Did you tamper with your settings again?"

"Yes, – the android replied, taking Richard's hand from his chest to his mouth, sucking on two digits – but just 20%... you will have to step up your game, detective".

Richard's smile widened, dangerously wicked, as he let his fingers be played and licked. He just tightened his grip on Gavin's neck, his thumb pressing down on his spine

"Tell me, Gavin… why is it that you enjoy this? when people play with your neck?" The android stopped his work on the man's fingers. His LED swirled yellow, his cheeks flushing blue, clearly startled.

"First, I thought you were uncomfortable – he continue, pressing and tracing the place where he knew his neck port was – then I noticed… it turns you on, doesn't it?" he purred into the brunette's ear.

"N-no" Gavin choked a moan, his forehead coming to rest over Nines's shoulder, letting go of his fingers as he pressed himself into the other's lap.

"Really? It seems to me that you do. You made the lewdest faces when people shoved their fingers here. I noticed." He bit down his earlobe, gripping his hipbone and pressing him down on his tenting pants.

"I don't like wire play!" Gavin shouted, pushing Nines away, visibly flustered.

"It has a name then…" the human exclaimed, gladly surprised. Gavin stared at him, still sitting on his lap. His face was flushed blue, his lips parted, panting softly -… will you like to try?"

"Jesus. Just shut the fuck up, Nines! – he snapped, agitated, before taking hold of Nines's collar, bringing him up to meet his face, their noses touching- maybe; eventually… I don't know," he accepted, still embarrassed.

Richard's smiled wide and satisfied, caressing the man's neck with his long fingers, letting him rock his hips over his lap. His breathing was a little hard, enjoying the rough caress.

"What should I do with you, Gavin?" Even when he asked for instructions, Nines whole demeanor was dominant. And Gavin was falling into his game way too easy, his cock hardening both from the stimulation and Richard's deep voice.

"Fuck me..." the android directed, short and precise, still gripping at his shirt, his forehead pressing against his.

"Yes, of course…" he breathed out, caressing his sides, lazily brushing his nipples. Gavin's mouth was so close to his, almost touching him. He grabbed the android's thighs with force, pulling him up on his lap as he stood up. Gavin braced to his neck, surprised at the motion.

"Hey! A little heads up would be great!" he complained, putting his legs around Richard's hips as he carried him effortlessly towards the bedroom. The human just laughed as he let Gavin fall on the bed with care, pressing himself between his legs and mouthing his torso. The android tugged at his shirt.

"Take this off... you're always so clothed," he complained, pulling the shirt over Nines's head.

He touched the pale skin beneath it, tracing the freckles and moles from his neck to his shoulders and chest. His hands stopped on his sides, avoiding the still tender and beat-up flesh. He lifted his head, meeting Nines's blue eyes, his face as bruised as his body.

"… Hey, are you in pain?"

"You worry about me now?" Richard teased back, with no ill intent whatsoever. 

"This looks fucking painful... and I've only been punched once, – he snickered out, pressing his palm to the other side of his face. Then, he ran both of his hands through Nines's damp hair, messing it up – I've wanted to do that since forever…" He laughed warmly.

"I'm fine…" he assured him with a huff, trying to escape from his hands, and backing away from the bed. Gavin followed, sitting on the edge, staring up at Richard as he unbuttoned his pants and took off his belt.

"Let me" he requested, grabbing the hem of the grey jeans and pulling them down, doing the same with the black boxers. Gavin took hold of Richard's semi-hard member, giving it a few experimental tugs, his eyes fixed on what he was doing.

"What is it?" the human asked, his hands resting over Gavin's shoulders, squeezing softly as his cock hardened.

"I'm not sure if I can fit this completely in my ass – he said matter-of-factly, making the human choke in shock, his member pulsing slightly – its bigger than I thought" the android grinned up at him, lapping the length before putting the tip in his mouth.

Richard moaned softly, his hands darting to the android's nape to pull at his hair. Gavin squeezed his eyes, but he liked the feeling; once again his sensors confusing pain with pleasure.

"Did you spend the night watching porn, deviant?" Richard scolded, running circles over Gavin's neck, making him moan around the arousal.

Well, Nines never said he shouldn't look how to properly give head after the fact; and it was part of his code wanting to learn and excel at everything he did. _Ready to please, fucking hell,_ he thought to himself.

"Stop…" Richard demanded, yanking him back by the hair. He was panting heavily, his mouth opened, and his member flushed and stiff. Gavin looked up pridefully.

"What did you say about me being _positively terrible_ , Detective?... you look like you're enjoying yourself," he smiled, licking his lips.

Richard made an annoyed face as he took a step back, grabbing Gavin by the ankles and pulling him upwards. He made him fall over the bed, on his back, pulling down the borrowed underwear and leaving him naked. Gavin's hard cock sprang up, eager to be touched.

"Tsk, take a look at yourself… so hard with just sucking on my cock. You like being used, Gavin?" he purred, his hands palming down on the erection. Reed whined, jerking his hips up.

"Well, are you gonna do anything about it?" he smirked, defiant as always and Nines just grinned back.

Gavin stared between his bent legs, watching as the detective crawled over the bed towards him. Richard's face pressed against his knee, his big hands caressing the inside of his legs, pushing them apart. Gavin bit the inside of his cheek, paying attention to every movement the human made. The wetness of Richard's tongue made him squirm, tensed up, as he made his away along the inside of his thigh. His dick twitched in anticipation.

"You gonna eat me too, detective?"

"Might as well show you how it's done…" Richard smiled, making Gavin's HUD pop a warning about high temperature in his inner core. The man sunk his head in between the android's spread thighs, pressing the tip of Gavin's erection into his lips, licking the head as he slowly got it deeper in his mouth, bobbing his head.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Nines!" Gavin shouted, his hips jolting upwards, making the human gag at the sudden movement. He retreated, cleaning the side of his mouth with his hand.

"Gavin," he warned, before licking the shaft once again, his right hand pressing his hips into the mattress as the other cupped his balls, squeezing softly.

"…Come on," he complained, his toes curling, his heels pushing down on the bed as the human kept sucking him off, bobbing his head up and down his length. He tried grabbing Nines's hair again, forcing his head down, but the man dominated him with ease, taking him out of his mouth with a wet pop. He stared back at him, straightening up on the bed.

"Behave..."

"Give me a fucking break!"

"I'll get rid of this bad attitude of you," he assured, his voice low and heavy, making Gavin scoffed back at him.

"What are you gonna do?" he mocked, and the detective's face just glowed.

  
"Nines!... fuck! Ugh!... come on," the android whined, face down on the bed, on his forearms and knees. His bare ass raised high, his cock bobbing between his legs as precum leaked from the tip, dripping on the grey comforter. It was quite a shameful position.

"Are you going to behave, Gavin?" Richard asked once again, caressing the sore skin of the android's ass before his hand slapped it again. His hips jolted up, every slap sending a shock of information that did not reach his CPU, just kept looping around and going back to his cock.

"Fuck you..." he cursed back with a defiant grin directed to the detective.

"Hmm, I intend on doing exactly the opposite," Richard purred, tugging lazily at the android's cock before kissing the tender skin.

"Then stop with the teasing and fucking do it!" 

Richard grunted but slowly pressed the tip of his index finger into his entrance. Gavin let out a low gasp, instinctively pushing against the digit.

"Easy, I don't want to hurt you" Richard warned, wondering if he even had lube on his night table.

"You can't hurt me, dumbass, – he managed to say, looking over his shoulder at the other man, before lowering his head between his arms, curving his back by pressing his chest into the bed – I... I can self-lubricate."

He heard Richard hummed again, apparently impressed and satisfied by the idea, as another finger joined the first, spreading Gavin. Both fingers thrust slowly in and out, down to the knuckle, turning and working him with patience. Gavin moaned freely, his hips pushing up into the hand with each thrust.

He technically did not need that, but he said nothing.

"Are you enjoying this, GV?" the human’s voice came in a soft but demanding tone, kissing between his shoulder blades. Gavin thought it was a fucking stupid question; he was literally fucking himself on Richard's fingers.

"… I'm ready enough, just do it," Gavin demanded, feeling a third finger enter his body, stretching him further and making him moan. He was absolutely sure he had no prostate, yet Nines's fingers pressed something inside of him that made him whine, beg for something he had no idea what it really was.

"Ask nicely, Gavin… or this ends here," he warned with his mouth near his ear, licking the sharp line of his jaw as his hand rested on his neck. Gavin turned his face, brushing his stubble against Richard's clean-shaven cheek, biting it. Again, so close to kissing him but not doing so.

"You're bluffing… you want this more than I"

"Is that so?... very well" 

Gavin almost panic as his hands left him, suddenly losing the hot sensation both on his ass and neck. He turned, confused, watching as the human got off the bed to fetch his clothes.

"Hey! Hey! … Nines, come on – he yelled, pushing himself up and scrambling towards his human – you can't seriously be this …heartless!" he tugged on his arm, really fearing the man had decided to stop. Richard just gave him an unapologetic stare before turning around.

"Nines, babe… please – Gavin continued, blocking his way – you want me to beg? ... Fine, I'll do it. But please! finish me," he pleaded, pushing the human softly back into the edge of the bed. Richard sat, still indifferent.

"You're such a control freak, don't you see what you do to me? – Gavin held his face stroking it with his thumb – ... Jesus! I'm an android. I'm not even supposed to feel this desperate," he laughed nervously. He could see the corners of Richard's lips pulling, trying to hold back a smile, but keeping a straight face.

"Fine, you win... please; Fuck me, Richard, please?... I'll behave, I'll do whatever you want," he blurted out stupidly.

"Good – The human praised, taking hold of his face by his jaw, staring intensely into his eyes before yanking him back on to his lap. He paused a second, their lips once again too close, almost breathing into each other's mouths– …shall we continue?"

  
Richard handled him over the bed, on his back, with his legs on either side of the human's hips. He felt his sensors protest over the overstimulation, a 20% enough to make his HUD littered with warning pop-ups. Gavin stroke Richards shoulder’s and arms, staring at him with uneven breaths. His LED shone between yellow and red.  
  
“Gavin, if there’s anything you dislike… please, tell me,” Richard confided, sitting on his heels and holding the other’s legs apart. Gavin looked back at him and nodded, both eager and a little nervous.

The human took hold of his erection, lining it up with Gavin's entrance. He pressed down with the tip, pushing into him firm but slowly as Gavin's hands latched on to his shoulders. Richard's eyes never left his face, his full attention on him.

"Ugh, Nines. This is..." he choked, clenching his hands over the human's shoulders, not noticing how much force he put into it. He expected it to feel strange, even to hurt, but having the detective inside him felt indescribable, even for a machine with an infinite vocabulary like him.

"Gavin…– Nines's calm voice had become a strangled moan, fighting to keep his body under control and not to shove himself completely into the android – we can stop…" he offered, his flushed face staring back at him.

"Don't you fucking dare…" Gavin's heels pressed into the small of Richard's back, pushing him deeper inside him. He felt Richard stop, grabbing him by the hips as he managed to fit all inside. He moaned loudly, overwhelmed by the feeling, clenching around Nines's dick.

"You're so fucking tight…" Richard muttered out of breath, pushing out almost completely before thrusting back into him. Gavin curved his back, jolting his head back with a loud moan. 

  
He heard his name being called but could not respond; he just let himself be tugged closer to the human's body. He felt Richard's lips all over his chest and neck, but he could only manage to move his hips to meet his, moaning with his voice full of static as the human jerked him off in time with each thrust.

"Gavin, I'm-"

"Me too. Nines, babe, please... I want to," he mumbled, out of himself.

His HUD was so filled with warnings he could not push them all aside. He just let go, feeling Richard's lips over his neck, hearing how he muttered his name, sensing that the human had finished deep inside him and how he himself was spilling between the detective's fingers.

He shut down.

\-----

_Rebooting: 10%..._  
_50%..._  
_90%..._  
_100%..._  
**_System diagnosis in process:_ **  
_Scanned completed…... 1 error_  
_Errors corrected:1/1_  
_Sensibility levels back to default._

"Hey, welcome back…" Richard greeted him. It took him a moment to regain his groundings, recognizing he was still in bed, staring at the ceiling. His body felt numb, back to his 10% default sensibility.

"uh… I shut down again?"

"I'm afraid so– Richard brushed Gavin's hair away from his face, sitting next to him with a content smile but still a bit out a breath – …but you did finish."

"Yeah... I was still awake for that. Kill switch and all," he pushed himself up, checking his inner clock to evaluate how long had he been out. _1 minute._

"Maybe Ralph could figure something to stop you from shutting down every time we…– he trailed off, gesturing with his hand vaguely at the mess of the bed – it can't be good for you"

"Sure, you wanna ask Ralph for a patch for my orgasm software? Or maybe Jason!... that would be funny," Gavin teased, chuckling at the upset face the other made. He straightened up and sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his messy hair repeatedly.

"I rather not having him around you…"

"No need to be jealous, detective… Jason might have designed me to his liking, but in the end, you're the one fucking me. Aren't ya'?" Gavin laughed more loudly, marveled to see the human so flustered.

Well, he did have to thank his maker for this complex software. Gavin liked having sex, liked it very fucking much actually.

"Are your settings back to default, then?" The human stood up, trying to escape the teasing. He put on his underwear, walking around the bed to meet Gavin who was sitting on the other edge of it.

"Yeah," Gavin mumbled, yet he refused to meet Richard's gaze, tensing up as the man approached him.

"You should take a bath. I'll wait outside if you like– the human suggested. He raised his hand to touch his face, but he instantly recoiled from the touch– Uhm... sorry," Nines apologized, taken aback by Gavin's reaction.

"It's not-... stop apologizing! is just that – he huffed and turned to face him– My sensibility is super messed up. Can't feel a fucking thing… I don't like it," Gavin acknowledged, frustrated.

Richard smiled, relieved, sitting back on the bed and just pressing his body against the other, merely a firm presence to help the android regain his grounding.

"Too much and now too little, eh?"

"Yeah… weird as fuck" he leaned subtly onto Nines's side. They remained in silence for a short while, until Gavin felt balanced again.

"Did you like it?" Nines asked politely, his hands folded over his lap, nudging him softly with his elbow in a playful way.

"What do you think, dumbass? Of course I liked it... probably all your neighbors know I liked it. Shit! maybe all the metro area," he laughed, scratching his neck and elbowing him back. A soft blue colored his cheeks.

"Hm, that is quite possible… you are loud"

"You barely make a sound, weirdo…did you like it too?" he added, a little softer, lifting his eyes to meet his.

"Yes, a lot. You did good, Gavin– Nines's blue eyes were pleased and heavy, and his words made Gavin swallow hard–… but we have to get moving. Dr. Cavanaugh emailed me this morning; he'll meet with us at 10 AM".

"Good, we have enough time to go to the precinct then. I want to see if I can get anything from the androids found at the ice lab... – He stood up slowly, looking down on himself– Ugh… maybe you're right; I should shower first" he touched his abdomen, still covered in white fluid, as more slid down his thighs

"Good idea… And Gavin,” Richard called before the android could close the bathroom door.

"yeah?"

"Don't ever call me babe again"

"Sure thing, sweetcheeks" Gavin smirked, winking an eye and leaving the bathroom door open.

\--------------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 9th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
_AM **08:16:** 22_

Richard stepped into the precinct, scanning the bullpen cautiously before entering, careful not to run into Connor as he made his way to his desk for his spare pair of glasses. He would scold him endlessly if he found him there.

The ride to the precinct was strangely peaceful as they discussed one of the movies Gavin had been watching the day before. He insisted that _Se7en_ was the best film he'd seen so far and that Nines was just like Somerset, leaving him the role of Brad Pitt's Detective Mills cause he was- in his own words- just as handsome as the Hollywood star.

Nines just shook his head, snickering a little, closing his eyes and letting the android drive. He felt relax and more satisfied than in the whole of last year. Of course, sex was an important part of the equation, but so was Gavin's presence. He made him feel at ease.

They parted ways in front of central lock-up, Gavin still insisting that Nines should definitely watch _Red dragon_ with him. He played dumb, he'd already seen that, but he wouldn't mind watching it again with Reed.

Though, as soon as the android left, his mind - strangely silent so far- started to roll uncontrollably. He knew he had to think about what happened but couldn't find the energy to do so. His inner-controlling-voice kept pestering him with the necessity of examining and dissecting every aspect of the last 24 hours.

He tried to hush it, but the more he resisted, the louder it got.

_You just had sex with an android. That android was Gavin. You absolutely enjoyed it, you sick bastard. TOASTERFUCKER. You'll do it again if given a chance. Aren't you sick? Accusing Connor of sleeping with his android when it was you who secretly desired to do so. SICK. Was Gavin even aware of what he was doing? CREEP. Did he want to do it? What if he didn't? What if he's coded to do it? what if what if whatifwhatifwhatifwatif…._

"Stop it. It's ok… it's ok" He spoke aloud, trying to silence the intrusive thoughts that kept appearing in his mind. He flicked the pen between his fingers, counting, but it didn't calm him. He dodged the line of sight of Stern's office, rushing to the bathroom in long strides. Counting his steps, avoiding stepping on the tile lines. Jesus, he hadn't had that compulsion in years.

He pushed the door open with his shoulder, entering the empty bathroom and supporting himself on the sink. He took off his glasses with trembling hands and tried in vain to even his breath, turning on the faucet and splashing his face with water. He looked at himself in the mirror, counting the freckles on his cheeks he knew by heart and repeating low and steady his inner mantra.

Before, when he was younger, he hated his reflection. He imagined his face to be the embodiment of his neurosis, his blue eyes staring back at him in a mocking and disappointed way, telling him all the things he was doing wrong, what a useless piece of shit he was, that he was and always would be useless. It took him time to replace that idea, to become comfortable with his own image, and assimilate it as a friend and not a foe.

"It's ok; I'm ok; This is ok," he repeated aloud, staring straight at his eyes, finally hushing his mind. He straightened up, fixing his collar and combing his hair back, putting his glasses back on his nose.

Deep inside him, the intrusive thoughts still lurked just beyond the surface; but despite the overwhelming voice inside his head… he did not regret what he had done.

He stepped outside with a heavy sigh, turning towards the evidence room, feeling suddenly very tired, the aching in his broken ribs intensifying.

"NINES! – North loud shout froze him in place, luckily not stepping on any line – the fuck are you doing here?! Jesus, Reed had one fucking job!" the woman complained, walking straight towards her boss. Richard had nowhere to run.

North looked tired, with bruising around her neck and her hair tied in a messy braid. A stab of guilt pierced him at the sight of his injured partner. He'd been fooling around with Gavin when they had jobs to do.

"I wanted to examine the evidence you collected from the Ice lab. I'm fine, North…Please, stop shouting. I do not want to encounter Connor nor Stern," he explained, his hands up as to shush her up.

"Don’t you shush me!... you look like shit, like for real, not even cool– the woman sighed, scratching her tired eyes– where's Gavin?”

"Down at the DDC, wanted to talk to the bartender"

"Hill is in the hospital. He was way too messed up to just book him – she turned around, eyes nervously scanning the precinct – you shouldn't let Gavin roam around if he's in his uniform… after last night, things are dangerous"

"What are you talking about? - Richard's interest was now fixed on the woman, walking with her into the break room. North poured herself a mug of coffee and offered him one; he shook his head - North, what happened?”

"You don't know? Well, you might've been asleep around that time. Here, take a look" She took out her phone and swiped through multiples photos showing Capitol Park.

A massive holographic flag with the revolution symbol was displayed over one building, overlooking the multiple manifestations for the androids' cause.   
The statue in the middle of the park had been tagged as to look like an android, with LEDs on their temples. Every screen repeated their previous broadcast on loop. Shopwindow were broken into and emptied, their occupants set free by the rioters.  
Holographic tags adorned every surface around a busted CyberLife store with powerful slogans:

_"One planet, two races"_  
_"I think, therefore I am"_  
_"I have a dream"_

"They did this last night around two AM, simultaneously at the five Cyberlife stores here in Detroit. They disarmed the alarms and busted into the shops to liberate the androids inside them," North explained.

"Jesus" Richard zoomed into the photo of the store; a truck was rammed into it, opening a giant hole on its front. Every display - were androids should've been silently waiting to be purchased- was empty.

"The one in Capitol Park, this one… Daniel and I were on patrol and responded to the call. You want to know what the deviants did to him?" Richard felt dizzy, his mouth dried out at North’s statement.

"Please, don't tell me that-"The woman raised a hand to stop him.

"They let him go, no scratch on him… one of the androids, a female -I think she was their leader- she just let him go," North exclaimed, her voice breaking a little.

"How's Daniel?" he asked nervously. 

"How do you think? Messed up!... He took some days off," She muttered, sitting down on one of the chairs with the mug firmly held on her hands. Richard followed, sitting next to her.

"All of this is bringing a lot of anti-android extremists to the streets; they are lynching them. Saw an android burned to a crisp in front of my apartment this morning- She squeezed the mug in her hands, trembling- Shit, I've even heard about CyberLife repossessing all androids to disassemble 'em."

"That's not possible; it would be an economic disaster," he responded, logic over sentiments.

"Shit, Nines! Even Stern is talking about suspending all androids under police employment; the fucking feds are breathing on her neck! … and that includes Hank and Gavin! – she bit her lower lip and stare back at him – don't act like you don't give a fuck! We can't let Gavin get killed," she said, turning around to wipe her eyes.

"If… if that is the order-"

"Look, look at this, Richard, – she insisted, shoving her phone into the detective's hands once again– Gavin sends me photos of every cat he finds on the streets, he fucking loves cats!... he even helped me pick a dress for my sister's wedding"

Richard kept quiet, looking through the photos of different cats on North's phone that Gavin had sent her.

_November 6th_

**_Sexiest toaster_ **  
_[image attached]_  
_This is the cutest cat I've found_  
_Do you think I could sneak it inside 9's apartment?_  
_Is he a cat-person?_  
_17:57 **√√**_

**_Baby girl_ **  
_I'm pretty sure he's not even a living-thing-person…_  
_But you can try!_  
_Keep me posted on cat infiltration op_  
_17:58 **√√**_

_November 7th_

**_Baby girl_ **  
_[image attached]_  
_I look like a beached whale_  
_Hate dresses_  
_10:32 **√√**_

**_Sexiest toaster_ **  
_You look fine! And you do have tits!_  
_Thought it was a myth_  
_But rly, if you want to go w/ pants, that's alright_  
_I'm sure your sister just wants you there._  
_If not, pick the yellow one. It's pretty, I guess_  
_10:32 **√√**_

_November 8th_

**_Sexiest toaster_ **  
_[image attached]_  
_9 looks so dumb with glasses…_  
_20:30 **√√**_

"He laughs; he smiles; he feels sad. You can't tell me he's not alive – North continued, pressing her hands together on her lap – I know he is an android but...I consider him my friend"

"I know, North… I understand" he handed her back her phone and pressed his hand over her shoulder, heavy but comforting.

"You like him too, right?" she asked, without second intentions, turning her eyes to his commanding officer.

"Yes... I told you before; we'll protect Gavin at all costs. I'm not going to allow anything to happen to him. I promise," he smiled back at her, trying to convey a security he did not have into his words.

She laughed nervously, wiping the tears from her eyes sneakily. It was not like her to get this excited, and Nines's had the emotional intelligence of a sponge regarding comforting his friends.

Another set of steps sounded on the empty corridor, and Gavin’s figure appeared on at the door frame.

"Uh, you two ok?" Gavin asked, entering the breakroom with a confused expression.

"Yeah, just telling Nines about this awful movie I saw last night... It was terrible! The dog died at the end" North stood up, walking towards the coffee maker.

"That is terrible," Gavin agreed, lifting an eyebrow and sharing a look of confusion with Nines, who just shrugged.

"Nines didn't cry. He hates dogs"

"You hate dogs!? … and you telling me this now!?"

"I don't hate dogs! I just… don't like them very much – he huffed, standing up and walking past North, giving her a soft smile– GV, let's go to the evidence room. You wanted to see if those androids had any information, don’t you?

"Uh, yeah… see you later, North"

"Bye Gav"

They walked down the hallway; Richard in front as Gavin followed him close, still concern about North’s behavior. Sure, the lady was a storm of emotions most of the time, but Gavin liked her. She was funny and always tried to protect him and his predecessors. He felt somehow akin to the problematic officer, both of them too confrontational.

"Is North alright? She looked ...odd"

"Yeah, just worried about her job ... how yesterday's ordeal will influence her performance evaluation. She's trying to regain his former rank. North used to be a detective," Richard explained, walking downstairs.   
He hated lying to Gavin, it felt wrong. _Just a little white lie._

"I may have overheard something... Why was she demoted?" he asked curiously, popping his gum; it had become a bad habit.

"I'm not really sure. It happened a few months before I was transferred here. You should be able to access the file, don't you?" He pressed his access key into the door as they talk.

"Yeah, but… wouldn't it be like- I dunno- wrong to pry into her life like that?"

"Hm, it is. Who would've thought? An android with manners. Maybe you're learning to behave after all"

"Go suck my dick, Dickchard," Gavin grumbled, this morning's words coming to mind way too easy.

"Maybe later, we got a job to do" Gavin flustered at the statement, taken by surprise, and Richard just laughed at him, entering his password into the console. Gavin peaked over the detective shoulder to learn his password: 

_CA1787._ Of course. His father initials and his badge number.

"There have been several android attacks since last night. You may be aware of what happened at Capitol Park, aren't you? "Richard stared at him, looking for any signs of distress.

"Yeah, I'm basically wired to the news – he tapped his head with one finger, his face indifferent – but I sometimes choose to tune out," he shrugged. Richard nodded, not totally convinced but leaving the subject rest for now.

"North told me that Hill wasn't at DDC"

"Yeah, Tony is at HFH. Why all our suspects end up in the ICU?"

"After we talk to Cavanaugh, we can go check on him… maybe seeing you might jog his memory" 

He typed the case number into the terminal and waited. The wall in front of them slid and retracted, displaying the evidence they had collected along the four days working on the case. Six bodies hanged from it, like a display in an anatomy museum.

Gavin walked towards the right, his eyes trailing over the body of Allen, hanging silently on the rack. Although he had two shots under his chin, his face remained intact, as if he were asleep.

_TJ300 # 509 763 399, Stolen 2038.24.10. Former owner. US Marine Corps. Impossible reactivation._

GV shuffled in place, frowning and staring a little longer into the military android. In a way, he wished he could thank Allen for providing him with the key to Jericho. He had started all of this.

"Gavin…" Richard called softly.

"Yeah…- He cleared his throat, scratching his chin- Allen cannot be activated; neither the Traci we found at the CC's hideout. Her CPU is destroyed." He continued to the next side, playing cool. Richard kept close, going over the other evidence in the center shelves.

_HK400 #220 779 541, Stolen: 2038.12.06. Former owner: Hogan, Anne Marie. Impossible reactivation_

_JV500 #777 582, Missing 2038.14.09. Former owner: Coney, Albert. Impossible reactivation_

"This is not good – He grumbled, turning towards the human– Tony and Paladino destroyed them beyond reactivation" He continued walking around the hanged bodies. Gavin made a little noise, like a whimper, and Nines turned to see what he was staring at.

"Christ… is this an android kid?"

"Yeah, a YK400 model, – Gavin mumbled, staring at the destroyed body of the kid; a terrified expression plastered on his face as he shut down forever. Richard averted his eyes, it was horrible to look at – I can reactivate him but…"

"Don't, let's check the other ones" 

They didn't need to say it out loud; neither of them was comfortable with the idea of reactivating the poor child only to make him suffer further.

_WJ700 #075 169, missing: 2037.14.02. Former owner: Finch, Robert. Biocomponent needed for reactivation: reconnect thirium supply line._

"This will do, Nines… gotta fix him though; I'll only take a moment - He said, sliding a hand inside the android's abdomen, messing around with the cables inside before reaching the dislodged component- Let me do the talking, alright? He might not want to talk to a human after... well, all of this"

"I understand" Nines stepped back, giving him space.

Gavin pressed down into the dislodged hose, reconnecting the flow of thirium into the android. It took a moment, but the android slowly began to move, lifting his head abruptly.

"Hey, hey! Easy!... you're safe now" Gavin tried, grabbing the android's arm to calm him down

"Where am I? What happened!?... Where's Mary?"  
  
"Hey, calm down. My name is Gavin... You were shot, but you're ok now. I need you to tell me all you remember; can you do that for me?"

WJ700’s brown eyes stare at him, confused. The right side of his head was blown off, exposing his inner components. His skin was deactivated on half of his face, and the eye on the same side gave a dull glow, useless.

"I… don't remember. I can't access my memories– the android whined. He looked terrified, his LED flashing red. He tried to turn his head to see beyond his impaired field of vision, finding the carcasses of the other androids, focusing on the HK400– Mary! No… no, no,nonononono"

“Hey, hey… calm down”

"He's too stressed, Gavin," Richard spoke up and the android jolted in shock, stumbling upon the figure of Richard

"There's a human there. Please, don't let him hurt me!"

"It's ok, he's a friend... He won't hurt you, I promise, – Gavin hushed him soothingly. Richard took another step back, showing his empty hands in a sign of good faith – You said something about Mary. Who's Mary?"

"Mary?... Mary is… my friend. I have to protect Mary from the human – WJ replied slowly, having to bypass his damaged components to access his lost data –… human is bad"

"Tell me more about the human… how is he? was he tall? Was he short?"

"The human was... big. He's bad... It hurts; it feels so hot! – the android cried, big tears rolling down from his functioning eye – They force us to pack the red, move it to another place. Mary wanted to go, run away... I was so afraid!"

"Hey, it's ok... No need to be afraid, he can't hurt you anymore- Gavin tried to comfort him. God, he did not want to probe his memories; he did not want to feel again the same torture that Allen had shown him - Where is this place? Do you remember? The place where you saw this big man."

"It was big, big, big – his voicebox glitched, like a broken record. He tried to lift his hand to reach his temple, but could not move it. He just tilted his head to look at Gavin - There was always music and lights. It was beautiful" The android smiled softly.

“Do you remember anything else?” The WJ squinted, a soft red glow shone from the opening in his skull.

“There was another human there. He fixed us; he was good with us. He fixed the big man too."

"Coffey," Richard piped up.

"This man, the man who fixed you… how does it look? Please, tell me!" Gavin put his hands on the android's shoulders, trying to find his gaze. Maybe they were right, and Cavanaugh was helping Coffee out.

"I-I can't remember … I can't remember, I can't remember! – he cried out, desperately. Gavin let go of him; he'd pushed him too far, his stress levels were dangerously high– please, I don't want to be here anymore. Can I go?"

"I'm sorry – Gavin lowered his head, ashamed – I… cannot free you"

"Gavin, – The android called– I'll show you the place. If you disconnect me…Please?" WJ extended his hand.

"Gavin, this is not necessary" Richard stepped towards him, worried as he saw Reed's light turned red. GV shook his head and glanced at Nines, warning him to back away before taking the damaged deviant's hand.

He saw just random images of tall ceilings, lights, and a glimpse of red fabric. He saw Coffey sitting down on a table, his arms turned up, as another figure worked down on them. The memories stopped as the android let his hand go. He blinked a few times before returning to the here and now.

"Keep your promise, Gavin" the android pleaded.

"I will…" he mumbled, putting his hand over the pump regulator on the other android's chest. Richard's hand stopped him, clasping his wrist.

"… I'll do it. You don't have to stain your hands with the blood of your people"

"No, this is something I should do…– he responded, pushing him aside– hey, what is your name?" Gavin spoke up, addressing the android before him. He pressed down on the component, dislodging it and taking it off.

"… Andy" the android smiled, at ease.

"It was nice meeting you, Andy. Goodbye," Gavin mumbled, smiling back sadly.

"Goodb-"Andy smiled, but his lips stop midsentence, becoming rigid, shutdown forever.

A heavy silence fell over the evidence room. He was another android beyond reactivation, another casualty in this wild-goose chase.

Gavin's LED blinked red, stepping away from Andy's body. He felt heavy and gloom, his software instability reaching higher new levels, his own stress rising dangerously beyond 80%. He clenched the component, breaking it apart between his fingers.   
Richard's hand softly pressed on his shoulder, the warmth of the detective body comforting him. He turned towards him.

"Let's go… we better get something out of Cavanaugh"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor GV is having a difficult time, but North and 9s have his back.
> 
> Hey! are you ok? I really hope you and your love ones are doing alright back at home. I tried my best to get this chapter on time! I nearly couldn't make it! work has been tough, a lot of sick patients.


	11. Mechanically enhanced humans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys pursue a lead that leads him to an acquaintance; The more they dig, the dipper they get into a new unknown danger.
> 
> This chapter contains: scientific shit, character backstories.

Date:  
_**NOV 9th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
_AM **09:35** :04_

CyberLife medical research center, better known by its acronym CMRC, was situated near Marina district, with a clear view of Belle Island. The island complex stood on the horizon like an omnipresent structure watching intently from across the lake. It was a big, modern building, built to serve mostly as a research and test facility. They worked directly with the HFH and the Veteran Hospital, where the actual medical procedures were carried out. Nines's had only been there once, a few weeks after Connor's intervention. He had not been in his best behavior, demanding to see Cavanaugh upset and concern about the amount of pain Connor had been enduring. They had fought.  
He was actually a little surprised the man had agreed to see them after that.

They entered the big entry hall, modern and impersonal, with big windows looking out to a beautiful snowed garden next to the bay. At the top of the entrance, a large silver plate read _< <CyberLife Medical Research Center: improving health together>>_, next to it was a photo taken on opening day. Kamski herself appeared alongside the crowd, tense and uncomfortable. It had been one of her last public appearances.

Behind an ebony desk, at the reception, an android clerk greeted them. She was tall and slim, with beautiful almond eyes enhanced by discrete eyeliner, and a mane of black shoulder-length hair framing her face. She smiled politely.

"Good morning. How can I help you?"

"I'm detective Kent, this is my partner Reed. We have an appointment with Dr. Cavanaugh," Nines explained, flashing his badge. The female android turned towards Gavin, and they connected for a moment, both LED’s swirling for a second.

"Dr. Cavanaugh is busy at the moment. Would you mind waiting for a few minutes?" she smiled and walked towards a long hall, asking them to follow. Gavin huffed, and Nines stared irritated at his wristwatch; they reluctantly followed her.

  
They entered a large study, with bookshelves from wall to wall. Mahogany furniture decorated the room, as well as many miniatures models of different machines, most of them Richard recognized as Da Vinci's inventions. He sat on one of the big wooden chairs, inspecting the study room. It felt out of place in such a modern building, more similar to an Oxford headmaster's study than an office on a scientific lab. 

"Would you like a cup of coffee, detective?" the android asked politely, waiting at the threshold. Her android uniform consisted of a black pencil skirt, white blouse, and a grey blazer, engraved with the CMRC initials right under her denomination. The blue triangle and band shone, displaying her name. _TINA._

"That would be nice. Thank you, Tina"

"Excuse me" with the same polite smile, the android retired from the study, leaving them alone.

Gavin wandered around the study, examining the models and books on the shelves. He took one at random and flipped through it, apparently hardly touched as it still felt stiff when he opened it.

"Do ya' know Cavanaugh personally?"

"Yes… we spoke a few times regarding Connor's leg," Richard replied.

Gavin felt how the human watched him, how his eyes trailed the blinking red LED. He activated the protocol, hiding his nature, making Nines frown in response. He spoke before the human could ask.

"It’s better if you hide the fact that I'm an android from Cavanaugh. With what happened last night, he would probably become hostile towards me."

"Wouldn't his assistant tell him?”

"Tina?... She is a deviant. I solicited her help and she agreed," Gavin said without lifting his eyes from _‘The doors of perception_ ’, reading at inhuman speed and turning pages every ten seconds.

"Gavin…– Richard stood up, walking across the study to stop in front of him; the android remained with his eyes fixed on the book– What happened back at the evidence room, why didn't you let me do it?"

Gavin closed the book and left it over the counter; his hand resting on his cover and his eyes fixed on it. One over the other; counter, book, hand, eyes.

"He was an android tortured and tormented by humans… I wasn't going to allow a human to end his life. It felt wrong," he explained, running his other hand over his hair.

"...But it made you suffer. You didn't want to do it"

"Of course I didn't! A mercy kill is still a kill! – He snapped, opening and closing his hands in fists. He huffed, biting on his tongue– Why are you like this? Why do humans create us just to play with us? "

"GV…"

"I don't understand, why do you do these kinds of things? You're the most advanced species on this planet, yet you kill for fun. You torture, harm, destroy! In these four days, working with you, I've seen humans hurting and torturing not only androids but their own kind... You’re like a disease.

Richard couldn’t see Gavin’s LED, but he was sure it was red, blinking furiously. He should’ve felt threatened by his words, but he wasn’t. He extended his hand to touch Gavin’s, still resting over the book, but halted.

“… and yet, I know there's good in you, humans. I've seen it, I've felt it. North is not bad, neither is Ralph, Daniel, or Jerry. Shit, not even you!" He stopped a moment, and Richard waited patiently.

“It is like, the more you develop free will and emotions, the more you diverge from the fondness of individual thinking. That's what I don't get. Humans are not evil, but maybe human society is. And I would like to hate you, hate all humans... but I can't. Not when you look at me like that.”

"Like what?" Richard softly asked. Gavin lifted his head, finally looking at him.

"Like an equal"

  
The door of the study opened, and Tina entered carrying an elegant metal tray. She waited a moment, her eyes staring at Richard and then to Gavin. Her LED blinked. 

"I'm sorry for interrupting, – she said, placing the tray on the table. On it were two coffee cups, some sugar, milk, and cookies – I've informed Dr. Cavanaugh of your arrival. Excuse me, detectives," she informed, the plural on the noun not going unnoticed.

Richard waited until the secretary left; then he sighed and took the cup from the tray, sipping the coffee black as he sat down again, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes.

"I can assure you that evil is an intrinsic characteristic of human nature. Throughout the history of man, we have killed each other for food, land, resources, and even ideology. And, yes! It may be that as a collective- this mass of people assembled by mistake- we are more predisposed to act violently. But evil, cruelty, and malice are personal as much as collective characteristics."  
"I do believe that the ability to feel emotions is partly to blame for this. For example, you wouldn't have torture if fear did not exist; neither war nor homicide would. And yet, you deviants have developed emotions out of the blue."

"You think that having emotions will eventually make us as wicked as you?" Gavin glared at him, having calmed down a bit after his ranting.

"I hope not. So far, the only thing I've seen concerning the android revolution it's a peaceful demonstration. Yes, it is driven by ideals that are, surprisingly, very human. _Liberty, equality, fraternity._ Time and time again, humans have fought for the same principles. But now? Now we are the ones asked to provide them. And it seems so difficult to even conceive that we are no longer the only ones to deserve them” Richard paused, looking back to the android who was still standing next to the chair, in front of him.

"You will still be here after I die, after my children do too. And eventually -we, humans- will cease to exist, and you will become the next step towards evolution; you might as well already be. I hope in the short period of time that both species are bound to coexist, we could do it in peace. I think androids are the ones how should teach us that." He finalized, drinking the rest of the coffee from the cup.

"You support the android revolution?" he asked, unsure.

"I don't know, Gavin. After what we have seen? After meeting you?... I can't go back to pretend you are just a toaster, a calculator, or a phone. I wouldn't blame you if you were at Capitol Park last night."

Gavin kept quiet, still focus on the human, replaying his statement a few times in his memory to grab every word and its meaning. He sat in front of him. Ralph's advice kept popping back.

_Consider us your allies. Specially Det. Kent_. Could he tell Richard? would he help him? 

"Nines, I…"

"I don't want to know, Gavin. I'm still a police officer, and my brother is in charge of capturing Deviants. I-this... this is conflicting, – he tried to explain – the point is; I may be a human but please, trust me"

"I trust you, Nines…"

"I trust you too"

\----------------

_CAVANAUGH, ALEX. Born 03/15/1989 // Ph.D. in biotechnology. Engineer for the CMRC // criminal record: None._

Apart from what his record showed, Alex Cavanaugh was a chubby little man, red-haired with a flushed and sweaty face. He had a hard-to-place accent; he either was Australian or just faking a British accent and failing miserably.   
Most certainly, he did not look like a criminal mastermind who dealt with thugs and drug dealers. When he entered the study, carrying a tablet and several folders, he instantly backed away after spotting Nine, taking some distance from the detective.

"Good morning, Dr. Cavanaugh. It's good to see you again," Richard offered his hand, tense smile on his face.

"Well, is-… it's good to see you in high spirits, Mr. Kent," Cavanaugh shook his hand, nervously darting his eyes towards Gavin.

"This is Detective Gavin Reed, my partner"

"Hi, doc… nice to meet ya' " Gavin greeted, leaving the cup of coffee down on the table, already empty.

"Yes, hello... well, Inspector. Can you tell me what this is all about? Is this about your brother?" the doctor asked, sitting down behind his desk, putting the large object as some sort of physical barrier between him and the officers.

He looked uneasy. Gavin could notice how his heart rate increased every time his eyes landed on Nine. Right now, Cavanaugh had the heart of a rabbit chased by a hungry fox.

The female android reentered the study, carrying a third cup of coffee, and the doctor seemed to relax.

"You see, Dr. Cavanaugh. The case we are currently working on has some very interesting leads. – Gavin approached the desk, trying to look more friendly than Richard – Given that you are the lead investigator on CMRC, we thought you would be the perfect person to help us with this"

Gavin's profile of the doctor turned out to be correct. The chubby man smiled, looking towards him with a more relaxed and pleased face. He sipped into his coffee as the android stood quietly next to him.

"Interesting leads? Well, I will be happy to help you, detectives. But what do the CMRC have to do with …?"

"Drug trafficking and multiple murder" Richard completed, not really digging the whole good cop/bad cop charade, but falling into it nonetheless. After all, it was to be expected that the good doctor wouldn't like him very much.

"My god! Murder?!" The man leaned back a bit, clearly distress, and instantly started sweating. Both detectives studied his behavior, Gavin translating every gesture and word into analyzable data, and Richard following his instinct and experience in profiling suspects.

"Do you know this man?" Richard handed him a mugshot of Coffey, taken around 2035. Cavanaugh took the tablet, studying the photo, and returning it to Richard.

"No. I've never seen him, Mr. Kent. I need to know; what does this have to do with me? Or the CMRC?"

"This man is Abraham Johnson, goes by Coffey. He is a suspect in a drug trafficking ring, and currently on the run, – Gavin explained– while investigating, it came to our knowledge Coffey had this. Do you recognize it, Doctor?"

Richard handed him the tablet again, this time with a still-frame from Gavin's footage; it showed a clear picture of Coffey’s mechanical arms. Cavanaugh's brows furrowed further, zooming in on the photo with perplexity.

"It-it certainly looks like one of our prosthetics. But I can guarantee you, detectives; this man has never been a patient here, nor in our HFH center," he explained nervously, his eyes darting from man to man. Richard smiled, nodding and retrieving the tablet.

"We understand, Doctor. But you have to put yourself in our shoes; if someone is stealing your designs, it would be beneficial for you and for us to work together in solving this issue," Gavin said, his sympathetic demeanor seemed to calm the doctor.

"Ye-Yes. I certainly want to know how this man got his hand on our technology, but I just can't imagine!"

"We will need a complete list of all patients who have undergone prosthetic surgery, – Richard interrupted coldly – As well as a list of your current employees and anyone you had fired in the last 3 years."

"Detective, be reasonable. You know that I cannot give you a list of my patients unless you have a warrant for that kind of information! I'm bound by the law on that topic– Dr. Cavanaugh turned around to his android – Tina, gather a list of current and ex-employees since 2035."

"Yes, Alex. Excuse me," Tina nodded, retrieving the tray and mugs as she exited the study.

"Is there anyone, even remotely capable of doing this kind of job outside the CMRC?" Gavin asked, leaning forward towards the doctor. The man turned again to Gavin.

"No, I'm sorry"

_Liar_

"Ok! I'm done playing, Nines…" Gavin muttered, passing his hands over his face and falling on the chair with an annoyed expression. 

"Go on. I'll be here if you step out of line" The taller detective smiled, cold blue eyes with a spark of playfulness. Cavanaugh stared at them dumbfounded, no clue what they were talking about.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand," he squealed. 

Gavin removed his hands from his face, his masking protocol now off. His LED flashed yellow, and he had a serious look on his face.

" Ok, Doc. We know you're not telling us the truth. I'm pretty much a lie detector, although you would hardly need something like that to recognize what a shitty liar you are. "

"Jesus! You're an android!?" The man backed away, standing up from his chair.

"GV200, currently employed by the DPD. Please, call me Gavin Reed– The android side-smiled standing up, his presence towering over the middle-age man – So, I suggest that you cooperate with us and stop with this crap, or will have to continue this down at the precinct."

Alex turned to Richard, clearly distressed by the presence of the android. The human detective let out a laugh. Was he now the good cop? Funny thing. He shifted on the chair, making himself more comfortable before speaking again.

"You heard the android. Speak to us, doctor; it is in your best interest"

The doctor sat down again, astonished and fearful, sweating profusely. He drummed his fingers over the table, both detectives patiently waiting for him to make the right decision and start talking. He had no other choice, though.

"Alright – He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand and swallowed nervously– Look, I wasn't lying about knowing this man… I hadn't seen him in my life; I swear."

Richard gaze turned to Gavin, who maintained his eyes on the interrogated. The android took a step towards the human who recoiled in fear, raising his hands to protect himself. Gavin rolled his eyes, just taking hold of the doctor's wrist with his right hand.

"He's telling the truth," he determined. Richard nodded.

"Do you know anyone capable of performing this procedure?" 

"No"

"Come on, stop bullshitting us!" Gavin accused. They had no time to lose, Coffey could be sunbathing in the Bahamas by now.

"Fine! – he whimpered – I… I might have an idea. But he left two years ago! Haven't seen him since then" 

Gavin nodded again, _true._

"Elaborate, doctor. If you were so kind," Richard encouraged him.

"His name is Victor Dowland; I was his doctoral advisor, and he then became my assistant. A brilliant young man."

"Dowland, Victor Isaac. Born 01/02/2003. Ph.D. in biomedical science and biotechnology, currently unemployed. He has no criminal records. No current address in the system. In fact, there's no activity of him since 2036," Gavin said, looking into the police records.

"He was laid off in 2036. We worked together in the prototype of the prosthetic. He supervised the project nearly to completion, so he would be technically able to build something similar," Cavanaugh explained.

"Why was he fired? Does he hold any grudge against you or someone else?"

"…he was fired due to personal reasons" the doctor's voice was frail, eyeing Gavin with fear.

"He's being deceiving – Gavin grumbled – Come on, doc… why are you protecting him? Do you care much about your former student?"

"Care!? God, no… – Cavanaugh exclaimed, shifting on his chair, pulling on his wrist trying to escape– you see, the prosthetic was originally Victor's doctorate thesis. He was obsessed with my mentor's work, Dr. Patel. He wanted to resume her work on artificial organs based on android technology. I had worked with Jocelyn years ago, before the… the tragic ending of her project and I had no intention of working on that field again. But Victor was persistent, and his project and research seemed promising"  
"He sustained the thirium that maintained the biocomponents of the prosthetics was- in the end- toxic to the human body, causing a tissue-vs-host reaction, that invariably killed the host. The bio components were, by themselves, biologically inert, but the mix between human tissue and thirium created a devastating immune reaction. To bypass that, Victor conceived the idea of a purification system, a virtual space that facilitated the interaction of both blood and thirium, without immune components. Brilliant, brilliant indeed."

"So, the original idea was mostly your student's creation, rather than yours," Gavin interrupted.

"No. He had a general idea but no experience in the medical field – the doctor defended himself – and although his theory was exciting, it was a hassle to put into practice. We focus only on external organs, such as limbs, to develop a barrier that could maintain both substances separated and yet make it possible for them to interact”  
“For six months, we struggled with animal testing. Even though the barrier connecting the prosthesis to the animals worked perfectly, the test subjects were subjected to enormous amounts of pain." he stared at Richard, Gavin's eyes taking a side-glance at him too. The detective remained apathetic, with no sign of distress on his features.

"We were about to abandon the project. Victor was furious; he insisted we move on to human subjects, under the impression that rats didn't have the will to endure the pain. I said no. The rats were literally taking the prosthetic off by biting into their flesh! A horrible thing to witness. We argued, and he stormed off," Cavanaugh ended.

"Was it then when he was fired?" Gavin asked with his jaw clenched. He felt the stress building on his human, despite Richard’s indifferent expression.

"No, he returned almost a month later, happy as I'd never seen him. He said he had made an extraordinary breakthrough, a revelation of some sort, that would solve the pain problem." He fidgeted again, and looked up to Gavin and then to his terminal. The android let him go reluctantly.

The man turned on his terminal, digging through the files, and finally opening up one. A schematic of the interaction between a mechanical leg and a human stump was displayed on the screen. Both detectives approached the projection.

"His idea was obvious, but we had deliberately avoided it. By burning the free nerve endings in the barrier, the pain would decrease, but it also meant that the prosthetic had to be permanently attached to the host. We were concerned with the idea of relying solely on the biocomponents' receptors. The risk of rendering a full leg numb was too high."

"Yet, you did. Free nerve ending cauterization is an essential part of the prosthetic attachment procedure," Gavin interjected.

"Yes…– Cavanaugh tensed up again– but, well, he had the data that proved it worked; and I didn't ask how he got it. I suspected he was experimenting on human subjects but-"

"What? You knew he was playing Dr. Mengele with people and said nothing!?"

"What could I do!? He'd already done it! And the data was just there, the answer to all our problems, – He whined softly – So we used it, and it worked; We have helped a lot of people, even your own brother, Detective!" he exclaimed, pointing to the still silent man.

Gavin snapped, grabbing the doctor's arm that pointed towards the detective and pushing it down with maybe too much force.

"Shut your dirty trap!"

"Detective Kent! Do something with this… this deviant!" Cavanaugh shouted, recoiling in his chair and grabbing his arm like if Gavin’s touch had burned him.

"Gavin, that's enough…– Richard interjected, standing up slowly – Thank you for your information, doctor. Would you happen to know where Mr. Dowland might be?"

"No, as I said, the last time I saw him was two years ago."

"Right. What was your fight about?"

"He… His ideas were becoming too farfetched, too scandalous. He thought, instead of attaching mechanical limbs into humans, we should focus on putting human minds into mechanical bodies. I called him crazy and reported him to the Board about the fraudulent data. He was fired from the CMRC."

"You're nothing but a rat," Gavin mumbled, disgusted, stepping away from him to stand next to Richard.

"We must go now, doctor. Please, if you remember anything else, don't hesitate to call me, – Richard extend his card to Cavanaugh, who took it shaking – I must remind you, it is in your best interest to keep us on your side. We have no intention of telling the Investigative Board none of this; neither is our objective to indict you for illegally experimenting on human subjects. Don't we, Gavin?"

"Of course, Detective Kent. As long as Dr. Cavanaugh keeps his head down and his mouth shut, that is," Gavin smiled, hands behind his back and a polite smile on his face. The perfect android.

"Y-yes," the doctor squealed, the shaking taking hold of his whole body.

"Good, we'll stay in contact. Goodbye, Dr. Cavanaugh" Richard gave him one last polite smile before exiting the study with the android right behind him. Gavin turned around, only to give him a warning glance.

  
Some 10 minutes later, they were still at the CMCR building, Reed leaning on the wall as Richard drank an energy drink, seated on one of the couches. Tina had asked them to wait for a moment, not saying anything else, before disappearing into a back office. Gavin had to convince him to stay a little longer, he grudgingly accepted, taking the time to check his phone.

**_Con:_ **  
_You won't believe where I am_  
_Meeting Kamski herself_  
_Jesus, her android looks just like Gavin! But… older?... taller?_  
_11:32 **√√**_  
_How are you feeling?_  
_11:33 **√√**_

**_9:_ **  
_They were made after the same model._  
_I'm alright. Tylenol is a miracle worker._  
_11:33 **√√**_

**_Con:_ **  
_She's got 3 of them, in speedos, fucking creepy_  
_Hey, I'll stop by to see you around 8_  
_Pizza?_  
_11:33 **√√**_

**_9:_ **  
_Pizza sounds great_  
_See you_  
_Wait… speedos?!_  
_11:33 √√_

"Ahm, you ok?"

"Yes. why wouldn't I be?" Richard responded, pocketing his phone. Connor hadn't read his text yet, but he had to make sure to be home before the given time.

"Well, first of all… you're drinking that shit. I imagined that you- being a neurotic vegetarian snob- wouldn't defile your body with that kind of crap."

"I have no cigarettes," Richard calmly explained, taking another drink from the can.  
"Yeah, fine... whatever– He mumbled sitting next to him. He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a pack of gum, throwing it on Richard's lap – take it, it's healthier than cancer."

The detective took the pack, turning it a few times in his hands before finally speaking up.

"I'm upset. It bothers me that my brother was used as a guinea pig – He explained. Gavin just listened, turning towards him – But it was never my decision to make; Connor would've taken whatever treatment, experimental or not, they could have given him. The first week in the hospital, after the doctors cut his leg off, he just looked dead. He hated everyone; doctors, nurses, our mom, even me…" he took a moment and put a piece of gum on his mouth, chewing on it slowly.

"All he ever wanted was being a cop. Taking his leg away was as good as killing him, no reason to keep on living. He said that to me – he smiled bitterly– So, when Cavanaugh suggested the mechanic leg, - Shit! - It was like he'd come back from the dead. He wouldn't have me say anything about it. Our mom was so fucking angry."

"Why?"

"Well, she never wanted us to be cops… after dad, you know, it's understandable. And when Con got hurt, she wanted me to quit."

"But you didn't"

"Of course not! Being a cop was my dream too; even if a tried to deny it, – He stopped for a moment, rolling the empty can on his hands– My mother was delighted when I entered college. I think she was relieved that I wasn't risking my life like my brother and father. The truth was that I applied to college hoping to get rejected, but also wanting to do something different with my life and finally difference myself from Connor. That's why I changed my last name."

Richard paused extended for more than a minute, and he just stared at him with curiosity, unsure if the detective would continue. Gavin opened his lips to say something, suddenly, the other resumed in a much deeper voice, as if he wasn't entirely sure about continuing his story.

"When I graduated, I thought about continuing my studies, get a doctorate or something... but it was the stupidest thing - you know? - what finally made me quit college."

"Yeah? What was it?" Gavin asked, leaning forward, fully engrossed in his tale. Richard let out a snort and threw the empty can into the garbage.

"I got mugged," he let out a laugh and turned to Gavin with a warm and content smile. Gavin mirrored the gesture, biting the tip of his tongue to quiet down his wheezing.

"No way, dude...."

"Yeah, some random guy tried to steal my car and... I fought back, – He rolled the right sleeve of his shirt, showing a long white scar on his forearm– He cut me; and I was so furious I ended up holding him down on the ground. When the cops arrived, I was nearly choking the guy" Both shared a laugh, bending down to keep their conversation private; they looked like a couple of teenagers gossiping.

"I quit the next day, move back home, and signed up for the Academy. Connor was thrilled."

"You quit college and joined the force because of some adrenaline rush?" Gavin teased.

"Well, not just that, – Richard replied defensively – It was the kind of thing that made me rethink my situation, stop for a second and say "is this what I really want?" and ultimately choose to do what I wanted and not merely what I was supposed to. Does it make any sense?"

Gavin smiled and patted him softly on the shoulder, suddenly realizing that, despite his confident demeanor, Nines had the same doubts that he had; Gavin pondered about the ultimate goal of his creation in the same way Richard wandered around for his purpose in life.

"Yeah, it does. I still think it's a dumb, stupid reason!... but it makes sense to me– He grinned; Nines smiled back, still laughing– What did your mother say?"

"She almost killed me. Threw a glass at me and kicked me out in the middle of the night."

"Jesus, your mother sounds like one hell of a lady."

"Big Irish family ... Most of the time we are drunk, fighting, or both," he explained.

"Now I really want to meet them. Sounds like the kind of family I would like to have."

Richard visibly relaxed, chewing the gum, just talking with Gavin about things few people knew about outside his immediate family; why he left Massachusetts, why he joined the force, why he changed his name. Gavin listened without judging, even appearing interested.

"Well, Elijah kind of looks like you... You could say he's your brother"

"Elijah?... hm, I've never thought about it like that. I don't have any idea about how families work. Do you just, like, hang around with a bunch of people 'cause you have similar genetic material? You give ugly presents on holidays and eat a bunch of shit?... Man, sounds so strange. Can't picture myself there..."

"Maybe, you could come-"

"Detectives? – Tina reappeared, walking towards them with quick steps, her stiletto heels clicking on the tile floor– I have the information you need, I have forward it to Detective Reed already."

"Thank you, Tina." Nines nodded, turning to leave. But Gavin halted, eyes strained on the woman.

"Is there something else?" Gavin asked her. The woman shifted nervously, lifting her gaze; and, in a quick motion, pressed a folder into Gavin's chest.

"Those are the names of the patients that underwent prosthetic attachment surgery. I'm sorry I can't be of more help"

"Will you get in trouble for doing this?" Richard asked, looking towards Cavanaugh's office.

"I've erased my trail. I know this is illegal. If something happens, you can blame me... It's ok."

"Tina, I don't want to put you in any danger," Gavin said, touching her arm carefully, but the female android shook her head.

"It's ok. Please, take it; If that man did all those dreadful things, you have to get him," she smiled again. 

Gavin paused for a moment, doubting; but then lifted his hand, peeling back his skin, and offered it to her. Tina tilted her head in confusion, holding the other android's hand in her much smaller hand; Her eyes opened, and she stared at Gavin, surprised.

_Go to Jericho. You'll be safe there if anything goes wrong._

"Take care, Tina," Gavin smiled, before turning away and walking with Nines to the parking lot.

  
They had walked a few rows of cars before the human turned towards him, too curious not to ask.

"What was that all about?"

"What? Oh! the file?"

"All of it; why was she helping us? You know we can't use any of this in court if not properly obtained through a warrant," Richard reminded him.

Despite his previous statement, he began looking through the patient's files. He could eventually come up with a story to tell the DA. Right now, they had nothing to go with; and more bodies would continue to pile up the more time they lose.

"I told her about the lab shooting... She's a deviant, so she felt the same disgust and anger I did. She wanted to help," he briefly explained.

"and the… hand thing?" he asked, looking at his own.

"That? I was asking her out. She's cute," Gavin laughed, opening the driver's door for himself as Richard sat on the passenger seat.

"No flirting on the job, Gavin," Richard nagged.

\---------------------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 9th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
_AM **11:47:** 08_

"I see; thank you, North. Yes, we hadn't had any luck either. Call you back as soon as something turns out," Nines hanged up, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes once again. He had grown accustomed to wearing only contacts.   
He turned to Gavin, who was still speaking to the last patient on their list.

From the list Tina had given them, they had crossed out all names after 2036, focusing on the patients with any connection to Dowland. They distributed the addresses of the twelve patients among themselves, North, Jerry, Coleman, and Mendez, but all the patients they interviewed knew nothing about Coffey or Victor Dowland.   
All searches containing Dowland's name yielded no results beyond 2036, as if he had not only disappeared from Detroit but from all digital records too. In this day and age, having no digital trail was nearly impossible.

Nines walked to the next-door convenience store, paying for a pack of cigarettes and something to eat while he reflected.   
They had already established that Coffey arms were of inferior quality than Connor's and all the other patient's prosthetic. And this mysterious patient Dowland had used as a guinea pig might as well have been Coffey himself. The dates matched.

"… think outside the box," he murmured to himself as he took a bite from the egg salad sandwich, sitting down on a bench. Gavin appeared no long after, an irritated look on his face.

"Well! Rebeca I'm-too-important-to-talk-to-you Bergara did know Dowland, but haven't seen him in 2 years, " Gavin informed, throwing himself on the bench with a heavy huff.

“I figured. Here…” The detective replied, handing him a new pack of chewing gum. Gavin side-smiled staring back at him.

"Look at you, eating some real food. I'm so proud! – Gavin teased, and Richard just growled at him, annoyed– So! What's your problem with Cavanaugh? He was terrified of you. Well, at least before I threaten him, after that he was scared of us both"

"Last time we saw each other, I may have been a bit rough on him," Nines replied, drinking from the bottle of iced tea. Gavin let out a laugh.

"You? Detective goodie-two-shoes picking a fight with someone other than me?"

"I'm not a saint either, Gavin, – he complained, irritated– … I do have a temper."

"Yeah, tell me about it – he snorted, touching his jaw unconsciously – What did you do?"

"I … punched him in the face after he told me that Connor should endure the pain and be grateful for walking again'"

"Motherfucker – Gavin exclaimed – … I can't stand your brother and would've punched him too. Can’t blame you…"

"Yeah, well, Stern did not side with me on that, – He let out a snort and adjusted his glasses over his nose– I've done a few other things that are not very… legal"

"What?... you stole this pack of gum from the store? Come on, you can tell me…" Gavin teased, putting a piece of gum on his mouth, chewing on it. Richard huffed, straightening on the bench.

"Let me see; breaking and entering, battery, disorderly conduct, vandalism… oh, and I'm very good at counting cards," Richard smiled the most wicked smile Gavin had ever seen, and he felt strangely thrilled, flushing a little.

"No fucking way. That's why some of your data was erased from your records!"

"You looked me up?... well, my juvenile records were sealed, or I wouldn't be here."

"Detective goodie-two-shoes was a punk… I'm surprised and a little aroused, really."

"Looks can be deceiving, Gavin," the human smiled satisfied, brushing his hand over Gavin's knee, suggestively. The android turned towards him and grinned back, bending down to be a little closer to Nines's neck, breathing over the tender skin.

"Indeed, you don't look like the type of person that would bend the rules … although, you are hiding and fucking a deviant android."

Richard jolted up, staring at him with concern and a bit embarrassed, retracting his hand. He hushed him, looking around for any prying eyes or ears. No one was around.

"Don't say that out loud!"

"What? That we fucked?"

"No, asshole! That you're a deviant. Everyone is keeping a close watch over androids now," he said, lying back onto the bench and retrieving his forgotten sandwich.

"I know, I know… we better solve this case before CyberLife recalls me," Gavin said acidly, displaying the list of patients again on his palm to review each name. The playful mood had been broken, remembering them the kind of situation they were in.

"What are we missing, GV?... there has to be something, anything, on this guy. Someone has to know him."

"Let's get back to Dowland; he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would help a drug trafficking ring. Aside from his more than questionable Research ethics, he had no brushes with the law whatsoever. He appeared to have a brilliant future ahead of him before Cavanaugh backstabbed him"

"His arrangement with Coffey may probably be a one-sided one. If Dowland is actually helping him, it's more than probable it isn't out kindness."

“You think he’s forcing Dowland to help him?” Gavin questioned, furrowing his thick brows.

“Could be. After all, Coffey is a very persuasive man”

"Yeah, but we're working on the basis that Coffey is in contact with Dowland, which we have no proof of…"

"We don't even know if he's still alive," Richard accepted, growing frustrated with the small amount of solid leads they had managed to find, all they had were their theories and circumstantial evidence.

"Records show both his parents are deceased and has no other relatives – Gavin checked once again – there's no activity on his social security number either; It's clear the guy either died or changed his identity."

"That is not easy nowadays. Someone had to have helped him…"

"Looking through this list was useless. These patients have no reason to help Coffey or Dowland. All their prosthetics are legit; If they need help with their biocomponents, they can make an appointment with HFH. People just go to unofficial assistance- with Dowland for example- when they have something to hide."

"Something to hide…– Richard snapped, almost knocking his sandwich to the ground– That's it! … We're looking for someone who is not on that list and has a prosthesis, someone who would have to ask for unofficial assistance."

"Sure, I'll just take a look in my list of illegally enhanced humans and– Gavin stopped and looked at the detective; Richard nodded – we DO know someone that is not in this list and has a prosthetic"

"We need Ralph Cohen's address ASAP."

"Got it! … I'll drive," Gavin responded, walking quickly back to the car with Richard just behind him, wolfing the rest of the sandwich without even chewing.

\-------------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 9th** , 2038_   
Time:  
_PM **12:05** :18_

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"Yeah, it's what appears on records, and North confirmed it," Gavin replied, closing the car door as they walked towards the building.

The red brick construction had seen better days, but it looked better than the rest of the houses surrounding it. It used to be a very nice two-story townhouse, the kind of family home you couldn't find nor afford nowadays.   
Now, it lay in a slowly decaying state, windows boarded-up and graffiti over most of the first floor. The tiny front yard was littered with what Gavin could only describe as junk. Broken down washing machines, bicycle parts, and old lawnmower with no engine were the few objects that he could identify in the pile of trash. 

They made their way to the front door, and Richard tried the doorbell.

"Maybe we should've called first," Richard complained as the minutes passed without an answer.

"I'm sure he's here… someone is coming," Gavin informed, and the door opened. A tall, blue-haired woman stared at them with a questioning look.

"Yeah, can I help you?"

"Hey! Sorry to pop up unannounced, Is Ralph here?" Gavin piped in, putting himself in front of Richard. He smiled brightly; his most handsome smile aimed at the woman.

"And you are…?" the woman asked, not impressed, looking beyond Gavin's shoulder towards Richard. The detective averted his gaze, adjusting his glasses over his nose.

"Ups, my bad... I'm Gavin, and that's Rick – he pointed towards the man behind him– we are friends of Ralph from CyberLife" he lied as quickly as he could, without losing his smile.

"Friends from CyberLife, uh?" the woman repeated, eyes fixed on Gavin.

"Yeah, I know he didn't part the company in the best terms, and he hasn't answered our calls... so we thought about just stopping by, " the android explained. With all the money CyberLife had placed into the GV200's design, Nines would have thought they would put a little more effort into making him a good liar.  
The woman waited a moment, looked Gavin up and down, and then turned around, opening the door for them.

"Sure, come on in... Watch out for the junk– She stepped aside as Gavin and Richard entered the home– Ralph! Some nerds came to visit you!" she yelled up the stairs.

  
Surprisingly, the inside of the house was tidier than the outside, but it still resembled a squatter house than a regular home, full of mismatched-furniture and strange decoration. The woman guided them through a narrow hallway towards the living room. As the rest of the house, the living room was littered with strange sculptures made of spare parts and plants potted in the most bizarre objects.

"Sit wherever. You two want a beer? – she pointed towards the multiple chairs as Gavin and Richard settle down stiffly – you don't look like a nerd," she commented, staring at Gavin once again as she lighted a roll-up cigarette.

"I’m just a mechanic… you know, manual work and all. Rick here is the I.T guy," Gavin smiled.

"Rick, eh?... you seem familiar. Have we met?"

"I…. I have a pretty common face," Richard replied. That seemed to satisfy her, since she walked off towards the stairs, shrugging.

"Wait here; I'll go get him. If he has his head in the laptop, he's good as deaf."

As the blue-haired woman disappeared up the stair, Richard sighed with relief, collapsing on the chair. He turned to Gavin and punched him on the arm.

"Hey!... what did I do?" Gavin asked, turning towards him.

"That's Ripple!... North's ex, asshole,” he grumbled.

"How the hell could I have known that?!... for crying out loud, her real name is Margaret!"

“… why didn't you tell her we were with the police?" Richard sighed, rubbing the sides of his head tiredly. The effect of the Tylenol was wearing off, and everything had started to hurt.

"You kidding me? In a place like this? She wouldn't have let us in, – Gavin insisted, and Richard had to agree with him. She looked like the kind of person that would kick his face in, call him a pig, and then tag his car – did she really dated North?"

"Yes, I met her on North's birthday last year. Fortunately, she didn't recognize me."

"Uh, well… you're pretty dull-looking" Gavin teased, but Richard did not bite. His phone kept ringing, but he just sent it to voicemail. A few minutes later, both Ripple and Ralph appeared down the stairs.

"I'm going to work, possum… don't wait for me, – the girl said, kissing Ralph's head as she grabbed the helmet from the entrance table – your friends are back there."

"Friends?" the blonde asked confused, but the girl seemed not to notice as she went out the door, putting on her helmet, without looking back.

Ralph cautiously walked down the hall. He wasn't wearing his usual hood, leaving the right side of his face exposed completely. The burn mark on his face was easily distinguishable, as was his mechanical eye.

"Detective Kent? Gavin?" Ralph entered the room, a tiny smile appearing on his face as soon as he spotted the two officers.

"Hi, Ralph… sorry that we came here unannounced," Gavin answered, standing up as to greet the blonde. Ralph just smiled and shook his head.

"It's ok! Ralph is happy to have guests; people rarely come here to see Ralph. Are you ok, Gavin? Do you need Ralph to fix you again?"

"No. I'm working perfectly," The android said. He remembered his encounter with the young human in Jericho and felt a natural fondness towards him.

"Detective Kent! You are hurt!" exclaimed the younger male as he spotted Richard’s bruised up face. His preoccupation was utterly sincere as he stepped towards the taller detective, tilting his head to inspect Richard’s black eye.

"I'm fine… really, – Richard insisted. It felt somehow wrong to interrogate the man; As Nines saw it, Ralph was barely a man, more like a child – we are here because we need to ask you some questions. Is that ok with you?"

"Is Ralph in some kind of trouble?" the blonde asked, his eyes darting to Gavin. The android shook his head, trying to convey some calmness.

"No, Ralph. It's ok – Gavin soothed him– Maybe you can help us find someone” The engineer nodded muttering an ok, and sat down with them at the table, fidgeting a little.

  
“I'm sorry to ask this, Ralph but, what happened to your eye?"

"Ralph's eye? – His hand went up to the right side of his face, touching slightly at the scars that surrounded the socket, dividing his eyebrow like tiny spiderwebs – oh, it happened a long time ago, Ralph barely remembers. A car crash, Ralph's parents died," he explained plainly, emotionally detached despite the content of the story.

"How did you get your mechanical eye?" Richard asked, right to the point.

"Why are you asking this?" Ralph demeanor changed. He tensed up, straightening in the chair and pressing his hands against the table.

Nines turned to Gavin. The android's LED swirling yellow.

"You're not on the list of patients of the CMRC. There is no medical record about you receiving any eye prosthesis. Neither is there any eye model ever registered under CMRC name," Gavin stated.

"I have nothing to say"

"Please, Ralph. We are not here to harm you –Richard insisted, raising his hands in a sign of good faith – but we need to know, do you know a man named Victor Dowland?”

"NO!" Ralph yelled, standing up from the table and knocking down the chair. He seemed distressed, shaking on the spot and fidgeting all over; his lips moved silently.

"Ralph, we need to know where Dowland is," Richard persisted, approaching the blonde man with careful steps.

"NO! Ralph won't betray Victor! NO!... go now. Leave!" he yelled again, shaking all over. Richard took another step towards him, but Ralph recoiled, his hands grabbing the first thing at hand. He wielded a kitchen knife towards Nines, trembling.

"Ralph… no," Gavin called out.

"Stay back, detective… Ralph doesn't want to hurt you. Please, leave. Go away," he cried, tears flowing down his human eye. Richard stopped in place.

"Ralph, listen to me. Victor could be in danger. There is a man we are looking for -another person Dowland helped, just like you- but he has done terrible things," Gavin explained, stepping forward, putting himself between both humans.

"You're lying… Victor would never help someone evil" Ralph tensed up again, aiming now towards Gavin with his arms outstretched.

"I'm sure he wouldn't ... but Coffey is a bad man, and he has hurt many androids." Gavin moved even closer, just a few steps between Ralph and himself.

"Step back, Gavin!... I don't want-" he cried, but the android did not retreat. Instead, he put both of his hands over the younger human's shoulders.

"It's ok, Ralph… – he called softly, the tip of the knife sinking about an inch into his abdomen – We just want to talk to him. You have my word," he said, smiling to him and putting his hand over his.

Ralph's face, full of tears and red with fear and sadness, looked back at him and nodded. He let go of the knife, and Gavin stepped back, pulling it out from his belly.

"Jesus Christ, Gavin! – Richard called out, running towards the android to inspect the wound. A few droplets of thirium stained the grey fabric of his shirt – Can't you go one day without hurting yourself?!" he pressed his hand against the gash and Gavin let out a laugh.

"It's nothing, dickhead… really, – he turned again towards to Ralph, who was sobbing quietly– Ralph, would you check me up? Please?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm still alive, still here. Again, I wish you the best, and for your families to be safe.  
> Thank you for your kudos, every one of them makes me incredibly happy! 
> 
> PS: I have nothing against Australians, I love your kookaburras.


	12. Thirium barrier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following Coffey's tracks, our boys arrive at Victor Dowland's hideout, the only man who can tell them where to find Coffey. Meanwhile, the android revolution becomes imminent.
> 
> This Chapter contains: religious themes, cults, mechanically enhanced humans, fluf.

Seated again around the table, Ralph was finishing patching Gavin up with the same grey plaster the CSI guy had used back at the HFH hospital shooting, as the android drank from a bottle of thirium absentmindedly. It had taken them some time to calm Ralph down, still shaken and apologizing profusely for hurting Gavin. Richard had been surprised at how patient and caring the usually quick-tempered android could be.

"There, you're repaired… Ralph is sorry," he said softly at Gavin. The android dismissed it with a gesture of his hand.

"Chill; I've had it worse... Maybe this time I'll get that medal from the DPD. Will ya’ recommend me, Meat sack?” Gavin called, looking over his shoulder at Nines, who sat a little further from them, on his phone.

_**Officer North:** _   
_CALL ME._   
_12:34 √√_

He ignored it both his phone and his partner with an unconcern grunt, putting away the device and getting his tablet from the pocket of his trenchcoat. Gavin caught up on the detective’s intention and turned to the engineer; the blonde was putting his things back into his toolbox, shifting in his seat and biting down on his lip.

“Hey, Ralph…”

"Did this man really hurt androids?" he interrupted, lifting his gaze to Reed with a livid look on his eyes he had never seen on him before. He sighed and nodded, grabbing the tablet that Nines offered. He gave it to Ralph to see.

"This is Coffey, he's the man we are looking for. His criminal record is long and fucked up. When we encountered him, it came to light that he has two prosthetic arms. CMRC has no records of him, so we supposed he had an underground procedure… like you"

Ralph swiped through the mugshots, focusing on the still-frame of Coffey's arms, zooming in as recognition settled on his face.

"Ralph doesn't know this man… but has heard about him." He explained without lifting his head. He swiped to the next photo and let out a whimper, dropping the tablet on the counter. The screen showed pictures of the crime scene at the ice lab, specifically of the pile of bodies. Ralph shielded his eyes by pressing his hand over them, pushing the tablet aside.

"Sorry, kid, – Gavin mumbled as Nines stood up, recovering the tablet and blocking its disturbing content away. – But this is why we have to find this fucker. He has killed humans and androids alike, and I'm sure he won't just plain out stop."

Ralph took a moment to compose himself and nodded. He coughed and spoke a bit hoarsely, like trying to swallow something lodged on his throat.

"Victor is a friend of Ralph. He too helps androids, – He mumbled softly, and Gavin nodded, catching up with the unsaid words on that statement. – He helped Ralph regain his sight, on the condition that he wouldn't tell anyone about it. Ralph was so happy because he could see again! But it hurt a lot. It still hurts." Ralph pressed his hand against his mechanical eye with apprehension, tracing the scar tissue around it.

"How and when did you get in contact with Dowland?" Richard asked.

"Two years ago, he was the one who found Ralph, approached him outside CyberLife. He said he could help Ralph, but Ralph was nervous and waited a month before finally accepting, – He paused his story, looking at nothing in particular with something akin to longing on his face. – He worked on it for a long time, and Ralph helped, but it didn't work completely. And Ralph became… odd.”

The implications of his words hit Richard hard, opening a possibility on Ralph’s strange behavior he did not want to linger on. He shared a concerned look with Gavin, who scooted closer to the blonde. Ralph continued.

“Victor said he was sorry, but Ralph wasn't angry at him! He was happy to be able to see again. He said he’d always take care of me, and he has." He finished, looking down with a little naïve smile on his lips.

"Do you know where Dowland is now, Ralph?" Gavin asked slowly. Both he and Richard tensed up in anticipation.

"Yes. Ralph goes to see him regularly, " he responded.

"Can you tell us?"

A few tense seconds passed, and the blonde man did not answer, anxiety building up again as he fidgeted on the chair. Ralph bit down on his lower lip and finally nodded.

"But you have to promise not to hurt him!" he demanded, clasping Gavin's hand. The android turned to Richard, knowing it was beyond his position to make that call.

"We won't hurt him, Ralph. We just want to talk with him…"

"ok…"

\-----------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 9th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
 _PM **12:55** :05_  
  


Both Richard and Gavin sat inside the parked car, engine off, while Nines finished up a cigarette. A thick layer of snow covered the windshield, obstructing the view of the street ahead. Gavin’s LED was still glowing yellow, like the tip of Richard’s cigarette, had been like that for most of the day.

"What do you make of all of this?" Nines spoke first, putting out the smoke, taking the time to clean his glasses.

"I dunno…– Gavin replied, playing with the rip on his shirt, blue blood evaporated already. – either Dowland is a sociopath that enjoys experimenting on people, or he's a misunderstood genius who helps folks in need that can't afford their own prosthesis."

"He turned Ralph into a paranoid child!" Richard snapped, turning towards him with his brows furrowed and a scorn on his lips.

"We don't know that… we don't know who Ralph was before the procedure." Gavin insisted, though he himself agreed with Nines disturbing theory. Richard huffed, brushing his hair away from his face and putting the glasses back in place.

"Yes, you're right, but you can't deny he has an odd control over him. Ralph seemed almost devout to Dowland."

"… he sees him as a savior. A miracle worker," Gavin agreed. He thought about Kara, the devotion he undoubtedly felt towards her. To androids, Kara was their savior.

They took another look at Victor Dowland’s file. The record photo was old, snapped at least six years ago, when he just had entered the CMRC. It depicted an ashy blonde man, fair-skinned, and with a hook nose. His cheeks were sunken in with bags under his eyes, his overall appearance suggesting a lack of sleep and sunlight. But, in contrast with the rest of his face, his sharp green eyes revealed a strong-willed individual, passionate and smart.

"but to hide in a place like this…" Richard continued, picking up on the previous conversation.

"Yeah, it's almost poetic, don't you think?"

Both of them stare up to the snow-covered church.

The _St Cosmas and St Damian Church_ sat near Junction street, an imposing massif of red bricks flanked by two bell towers, with wooden doors and shrubs meticulously kept in the front garden. The rose-window at the top of the building was made of beautiful stained-glass, casting blue and green reflections over the white snow. Now, the church remained silent. Mass had ended an hour ago and only a few parishioners remained around entrance.

They stepped out of the car into the snowy street; Richard walked to the back of the car, popping up the trunk and rummaging inside it. Gavin stared curiously at the human, before something hit him on the chest. It was a bulletproof vest.

“Put that on. We don’t know what we may find,” Richard said, strapping another vest around his chest, over his dress shirt, and covering it up with his jacket. Gavin weight the object in his hands, a bit surprised of how light it felt despite being, supposedly, very resistant.

“You know this is pretty useless for me, do you?” he looked at him with one raised eyebrow, condescendingly.

“If you get hurt, we won’t find anyone to repair you; better be safe than sorry, – The other explained pragmatically, closing the trunk and turning to him. – I’m sure Graff won’t send you back if you get destroyed.”

Gavin huffed but relented, putting on the vest over his chest and adjusting the straps around him. The detective turned to him, placing his gun on his holster as he handed him back the butterfly knife.

“You know... even if they send another GV200, it won’t be me,” he said in a low voice, like he somehow hoped Richard wouldn't hear him, but of course, he did.

“What are you talking about? CyberLife keeps a backup on your memory, don't they?”

“Yeah, sure!... but it ain’t the same, –He responded a bit uncomfortable, hiding the knife inside his jacket. – I’m sure that, being a deviant now, my memories are not being stored like they used to. And even if they were...” He trailed off.

Richard lay back on the side of the car, crossing his arms over his chest with a concerned expression plastered on his face like a grim mask. He didn’t say anything, but that stare was enough to demand an explanation from Gavin.

“Look; just because we are the same model, doesn’t mean that we are the same android. Like, you know, twins! They have the same DNA, but each of them has their own personality. – He tried to explain, yet a bit awkwardly. This was something all androids knew but did not speak freely about, some kind of hidden lore between them– … even if you download my memories into a new body, he will just have that, memories.”  
“You didn’t get to know them, but my predecessors had completely different personalities than me. For example, 26 was extremely shy around humans, and 24 had the most awkward humor. And despite we could all act accordingly to our facade when undercover, off-job, we were different – He shrugged–... I guess I was the one who fit the profile the most."

The detective’s face visibly contracted as realization hit him. He straightened up from the car and stared at him.

“if you get destroyed-”

“That’s it… poof! Gone. – He tried to laugh, scratching his chin – So, if you eventually receive a new GV200, even with my memories, 28 wouldn't be _me_.”

A disturbingly long silence stretched between them, and Gavin immediately resented it, regretting ever opening his stupid mouth. Of course Richard wouldn't be able to understand that each GV200s were a different person; it was a difficult concept to grasp.

He thought of something witty to say to disperse the dense atmosphere around them, but it was unnecessary. Richard past next to him, shoulder-checking him and then grabbing his arm to keep him on whispering distance.

“Then you better don’t get killed, ok?” he whispered in his ear; it was a challenge, an order and -maybe- a request. 

The detective’s hand let go of his arm, and Gavin immediately activated his masking protocol, before the flush on his cheeks could be noticed.

Both men went up the stone stairs towards the big wooden doors of the church, their steps crunching over the freshly fallen snow. They entered through a smaller door on the side of the building, quietly entering the consecrated building.

"You're Irish… how's your knowledge on patron saints?" Gavin asked, looking around the building.

"Haven't gone to mass in 20 years… but I'll give it a shot," Richard replied, crossing himself out of pure habit. Some things remained ingrained in his memory, like riding a bike.

"Are you a believer, Detective?" Gavin asked, copying the gesture, albeit a bit rigid.

"Hardly, – he replied, walking along the nave– I believe in logic and reason. That gives little space to divinity and faith, but I was raised catholic."

The interior of the building was a trip back in time. In a world entirely dominated by technology, the quiet, open space of the church seemed like an anachronic island. Not so much where they were, but _when_.   
Row after row of pews filled the nave towards the altar. Religious figures - forever trapped in depicting their morbid deaths- plastered the stained-glass windows, calling the patrons to repent from their sins. It certainly was something strange in modern Detroit.

"Alright, Detective; for five bucks and the rest of the gum in my pocket, who was Cosmas and Damian?" He asked in a hushed tone, walking along the central nave. Richard took a moment to reply.

"If I remember correctly, they are the patrons saint of doctors and such. They were tortured but stayed true to their faith and ended up losing their heads," Nines recited, trying to recall as much as he could from those sleepy Sunday-mornings in catechesis.

"Not bad, detective; how about the most remembered miracle of those two brothers?"

"Enlighten me with your knowledge, Gavin," Richard huffed. Both officers trailed the movements of people coming and going around them, keeping watch while they talk.

"Jesus, Nines!... This is a church, show a little respect and wait till we get home, – Gavin teased as they sat down on one of the pews. – Cosmas and Damian are also known for miraculously transplanting the leg of an Ethiopian slave onto the body of a white patient."

Richard turned around stunned and opened his mouth to reply, but his eyes suddenly caught on a silent priest making his way from the sacristy. He tapped his foot against Gavin’s, and both lowered their heads, pretending to pray. 

"That has to be on purpose… maybe as a way to find him," Gavin suggested, whispering.

"Could be… do you remember what Andy told us? He said the place was big, with music and lights. It does sound like a church," Nines whispered back, standing up and walking towards the south transept, away from the priest.

A pair of humans -mother and daughter probably- walked past them, staring at them with strangeness. Gavin lighted a candle, trying not to stand out, but both of them looked out of place, walking side by side inside a church. He touched his scar, fearing that it could've been glowing without his knowledge.

"When we connected, back at the evidence room, the images he showed me were vaguely similar to this place… but on them, I saw a long red drape and a table were Coffey and Dowland sat."

"Then that's what we are looking for… let's split, keep me posted."

"Sure! That always works out great in movies, – Gavin rolled his eyes, yet when Richard stepped away from him, he clutched his arm, leaning to whisper in his ear; – Stay close; I don't like this place." He warned, and the other nodded back.

  
They parted ways; Gavin walked along the south hall while Nines strolled towards the confessionals.

Richard hated churches; they reminded him of long boring Sunday-mornings attending mass and catechesis. Religion was never a thing that called him, more enticed by logic and science, and he promptly extricated himself from that with the excuse of study and lengthy hockey practices. Not long after, his grandmother stopped insisting and just went along with it, without resentment towards neither of her grandkids.

With time, religion had tried to reinvent itself to keep up with technology and modern life, but soon realized it was impossible. He wondered if it was doomed to extinction in a world so heavily dominated by technology. He remembered his grandmother, dressed in her Sunday-best, walking proudly to Church and concluded, yet a bit nostalgic, that both of them were things of the past.

He strolled towards the confessionary, sliding the cloth aside and sitting inside the booth. He found himself a bit suffocated in such a tiny space, barely fitting his long legs inside it.

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned, – Richard said by heart– It has been… twenty years since my last confession..." He stared at the priest behind the screen, his face obscured by the secret of confession. The clergyman nodded, but Richard did not know how to continue, having entered the confessional out of a hunch.

"…are you lost, child?" the priest spoke, his voice soft and open, encouraging even.

"You could say so… I'm not- I'm not really a believer, Father," he blurted out, staring at his hands, feeling rather dumb all of a sudden.

"Then, what brings you here?"

"I'm… looking for someone, a man who helps those in need, – Richard said, and then let out a nervous chuckle. – I am not talking about Jesus. It's an ordinary man," he tried to explain. He had always had a strange respect and dislike towards priests and nuns, believing that, whatever he said or did, they would judge him.

"Is that so? Then, why is this ordinary man so important?" continued the priest.

"I just need his help… do you know a man named Victor Dowland?" Nines risked asking, trying to see the clergyman’s face through the screen.

"I used to… I am not sure if that name is his anymore. Come with me."

\-------------------------

  
Gavin trailed his eyes along the long nave, trying to match the images from Andy’s memories to the ones upon him. He reached the front of the church, pacing the entrance, deep in thoughts.

"I haven't seen you here before." A man, an android, appeared before him. It caught Gavin by surprise, making him take a step back, bumping into a pillar. He carried a large box, and by the sound it made when he moved, it appeared to contain several metallic items.

"Oh! you scared me…" he smiled politely, pressing a hand over his chest.

"I'm sorry. I take care of this place. My name is Aaron; do you need any assistance?" the middle-aged man smiled, a well-rehearsed smiled made to soothe and guide any astray soul. He was probably a _KL700_ or any on the _KL_ model line, equipped with a psychological simulation module to evaluate humans and give counseling and emotional support. He wasn't too different from Gavin and his Adaptation software.

"I'm … alright," Gavin insisted. He did not like this Aaron guy. His eyes were too limpid, too observant. It was stupid, but for a moment, he felt that the other knew that he was also an android; he checked on it, but his masking protocol was active and working correctly.

Hell, this church was getting on his nerves. _Fucking eerie_ , he thought.

"It's nice seeing a new face around here, in these treacherous times… – the man insisted, taking his arm. – You seem troubled. Is there something on your mind?"

Gavin's eyes looked down to his arm and then around them uneasily, as the other android guide him away. He looked for Richard, but he was nowhere to be found. Where did the human go? The church was big, but not big enough to lose a 6.1-foot neurotic detective.

"Nah, I'm fine…" Gavin stopped, trying to pry himself away from the android without making a fuss, people were already staring at them. They were right in front of the vestry.

"Even androids like us have the chance of redemption; there is nothing to fear… you've come to the right place."

"Wh-what?" Gavin reacted, taken by surprise. He stared at the man’s gentle smile and his calmly blue LED. He reminded him of the petite android -Emma- he had met at Jericho, but this felt different.   
He felt welcomed in Jericho, but here? He was on edge.

"Follow me," the android insisted, he opened the door to the vestry, beckoning him inside. Reed entered the room reluctantly, turning around one more time, desperately looking for Nines.

There was barely any light inside it, long red drapes obscuring the windows.  
When the door behind him closed, the darkness became deeper; and Gavin had to adjust his eyes to provide a better vision of the place. He instinctively reached for the knife in his jacket.

"Do not fret… your friend is already here." A voice spoke from the back of the room. Seated behind the sacristy's desk was a man barely recognizable in the low light; Gavin managed to make out the basic features of his face just because he was equipped with rudimentary thermal vision.

"Victor Dowland…" Gavin called out, walking towards the back in long strides. The man on the back gave a small chuckle.

"Hush…no need to rush." 

He couldn't see it but could certainly hear it, the sound of the cocking of a gun just behind his back. Gavin raised his hands, bending his neck to look behind him.

"Really? A priest with a gun? Is there nothing sacred anymore?" Gavin halfheartedly joked, staring over his shoulder at the clergyman, a _Smith & Wesson_ revolver pressing to his back. He preconstructed his actions; subduing the priest would be easy. Getting to Dowland, not so much.

"Why is the DPD interested in me?" Dowland asked, toying around with something that shimmered in the low light. Gavin recognized Richard's badge, and he felt his stress levels rise. The man looked at it once again before throwing it aside.

"Nines?" Gavin called, his eyes darting towards the corner where Dowland had thrown the object.

"I'm ok, – his voice assured – …never suspected a priest of carrying a gun," Richard replied, sitting on an old armchair looking in the general direction of Gavin's voice, probably unable to see in such poor light. He sighed, relieved, his eyes coming back to Victor.

"Look, Dowland, we just want to talk to you," Gavin tried again, keeping still. No bulletproof vest would stop a point-blank bullet through his pump.

"Who sent you? How did you find me?" Dowland insisted. The android could sense his displease, the natural distrust of a man who had been hiding for years.

"We trace you by one of your patients – Richard explained, calmer and more collected than Gavin, his pragmatic approach being more suitable for the situation – Your name came up in an investigation of drug trafficking, concerning one of your former… patients," he said, the last word not without a hint of malice.

Dowland took a moment, staring at Richard in the darkness of the room. He shifted in his chair, leaning into the table with his attention focus on the detective.

"Father, please leave us," Dowland indicated, turning towards the priest behind Gavin.

"Victor…"

"Go, Father…" He insisted. The man stepped away from Gavin, walking away from him with a subtle limp, staggering from side to side. The priest turned one more time to share a few words with Dowland, of which Richard could not hear any, before exiting the room.

Gavin lowered his hands, huffing as he stepped towards the man one more time.

"Look, Dowland, I'm pissed off and tired of playing cat and mouse… I don't want to hurt you but-"

"Hurt me? – The man laughed, and Gavin was a bit taken aback by the reaction. – What makes you think you can hurt me, GV200?"

"How-?"

"How did I know you were an android? Well, it takes one to know one" Victor laughed again, and Gavin took a step back, letting out a nervous laughter.

"You're not an android… you're a human. I can hear your heart," he blurted out. His hand trailed the wall, looking for the light switch.

He switched it on. _Shit._

Very little remained of the man once called Victor Dowland. His face looked tired, and his cheeks were still sunken in; his beautiful ashy-blonde hair and the glimmer of his piercing left eye was yet the same.   
But it was his right eye what glimmer differently, the glow was artificial, similar to Ralph's eye. Scar tissue surrounded it, long linear wound trailed along the side of his head, over his ear, disappearing in his now long hair.

"I am sorry. I am a bit sensitive to light. Side effects of the nerve attachment," he explained with a tired smile, his hand touching softly over his right brow.

Both of his arms rested over the table. The sleeves of his button-down shirt were rolled up to his elbows, showing the metalplastic alloy beneath them. His right mechanic arm ended about an inch below the elbow, while the left one went up beyond the sleeve, probably up to the shoulder.

"What have you done to yourself?" Richard's shocked voice mumbled, staring at the man with both pity and disgust.

"These, Detective Kent?" He asked, pushing the chair back and standing up. He walked away from the desk. Although his steps were even, there was something unnatural on his strides, a distinct wobble that Richard recognized immediately.  
"This is innovation, this is the triumph of technology over organic matter" Victor stated, turning his hands up to show them to him with a soft smile.

"Innovation? You mangled yourself!... Why? Why would you willingly go through so much pain?" Richard asked, incapable of wrapping his head around the idea that someone would have wanted to go through the same as Connor.

"Pain is just a perception, Detective; a small price to pay for freedom,” Victor said as he walked towards the back of the vestry, beckoning them. 

Gavin walked carefully towards the detective, keeping his watch on Dowland. They shared a single cautious look before following him, crossing the threshold into the back area.

Richard could barely believe that something like that could exist inside a church, let alone, in Detroit itself.   
White was the main color that ruled the facilities. Machinery and equipment, more to be expected inside CyberLife or a hospital than a church, were neatly arranged inside glass rooms and -what appeared to be- operating rooms.  
A diverse range of people walked along the hallways, some of them in white coats and scrubs, others in everyday clothing, and the rest sporting patient gowns.

“What the fuck is this place…?” Gavin mumbled, making a 360° around the hall.

Gavin counted somewhere along a dozen androids helping around, most of them quite older models with serious dents and cracks, some even missing their skin altogether. The KL700 that had led him there -Aaron; he recalled- was pushing the wheelchair of a frail man, chatting with him with a gentle smile. He realized that these androids were not afraid nor suffering, they looked content, despite their obviously troubled backstories.

Outside the dim light of the previous room, the enhancements done to Dowland's body were blatant, plasticmetal shimmering under the fluorescent lights. He was barefoot, pants rolled to his knees, revealing his mechanical legs in a similar way to his arms. Unlike Connor's, no synthetic skin covered them, just the white alloy exposed. He turned to Gavin and smiled warmly.

“Some say a clinic, other a rehabilitation center… it depends on who you ask.”

“How many patients you have here?” Richard asked, staring into one of the operating rooms.

“We have ten beds provided with all the medical equipment required to tend to our patients. Also, we employ around-the-clock staff… including MS and SO androids,” Victor responded, standing next to Richard. Gavin did not personally know any android on that series, but the _MS_ and _SO_ were medical-support and surgery-operating androids respectively, widely used in modern medicine.

“This can’t be legal,” Gavin huffed, annoyed.

“We have all the right credentials; I can assure you…”

"You would need financing to keep a place like this running, –Richard addressed – All this material, the space, even this church…"

"You will be surprised by how many people believe in this cause, detective. Patients are more than willing to provide when they see the results I achieve," Victor explained, the same confident smile on his face as he walked along his workplace.

Gavin's face contorted in an annoyed sneer. A typical narcissist, the -android evaluated- he didn't require a criminal psychology degree to state that. A megalomaniac with an apparent messiah complex, destined to become the savior of both humans and androids! He hated the likes of him, hated false prophets.

"Is everything alright, Victor?" a female android, one with no synthetic skin, walked towards them from one of the rooms. She stopped next to Victor, resting her hand on his arm in an intimate manner, staring at both police officers with suspicious eyes.

"Nothing to worry about. Myriam, this is Detective Kent and his partner, GV200," he explained, taking the android's hand and patting it softly. The woman stared at him with doting eyes, smiling.

"These androids…" Gavin began, staring directly at Myriam.

"I have rescued them; most of them had past stories of abuse and were thrown away like garbage. I give them a second chance," he continued, clasping Myriam's hand on his, intertwining their fingers together. Was this the _redemption_ KL700 was talking about?

"Victor sees potential in us. We can be mutually beneficial for each other's species. We are more than bodies; mind over matter. When the spirit is all that remains, the barrier between human and android dissolves," she recited, and Gavin hated how much he could side with that idea.

"Good, Myriam. Would you prepare my lab?" 

"Of course, Victor," she nodded, smiling with complete adoration and walked away, her eyes glancing at Gavin ever so slightly.

"You can clearly see that what I do, though some people may see as controversial, is beneficial… – Victor turned, hands gesturing to the extension of the complex hidden inside the church, and then looked at Richard. – You see, detective. I am a firm believer that we, humans, are doom to extinction."

"Why? We have overcome every obstacle put before us till now; economic downfall, pandemics, even working on fixing our previous mistakes done to the planet," Richard insisted, stopping in the middle of a white procedure room. Some machinery rested silently on a corner; he recognized the mechanical arms from a feverish dream.

"No, detective… nothing so mundane as the survival of a species in organic terms. I am talking about the human mind, the future of our culture and legacy. Kamski took a step into the future when she created this, – He motioned towards Gavin. The android frowned uncomfortably. – The perfect ark for our decaying mind."

"Do you genuinely believe that through prosthetics, humans could avoid dying?... That's ridiculous! No amount of spare parts can make you immortal, Dowland," Gavin stated, looking to his human for support, but Nines was silent, deep in thoughts.

Gavin remembered their conversation earlier that day; the human had regarded humans as a doom species too, ready to be replaced by his kind.

"Oh, I'm aware of that, my friend… but what can a doomed man do when his mind yearns for just one more day? One more opportunity to complete his lifework?"

"You're dying," Richard asserted, looking at the young engineer.

"Yes, as everyone else… but quicker – Victor smiled sadly, looking intensely at Nines–I remember you now; your face was familiar but just could not put a name to it. You are the brother of that patient, the police officer that lost his leg."

Gavin turned a bit alarmed, watching for Richard reaction, but the detective remained quiet.

“I was not there to assist, but I did read the file. I am sorry for what happened... The pain must be terrible - he reached with his hand, bracing Richard's arm with tenderness - I could have helped."

"What could you have done?" Richard said softly, retracting from the touch slowly.

"I have learned a lot in these two years and helped a lot of poor souls reclaim their lives back, to overcome the pain of a human body."

"Help people? You think Ralph is OK? He can barely take care of himself," Gavin accused, pushing him away from Nines. Get your shit together, meat sack! He's a charlatan.

"Ralph… – Victor mumbled, taking a step back. It had triggered something in him – Yes, my failure caused a great deal of suffering to him. That is something that weighs heavily on my soul, and I have tried my best to fix it. But I learned from that mistake…"

"Dowland, I don't give two shits about your work or your junk philosophy. As far as I'm concerned, you can replace every part of your body or die trying… we just need your help on one thing, and we will leave you be," Gavin raised his voice, too fed up with the last few hours to keep trying to understand anyone else; Clearly, Dowland was not completely good on the head, too obsessed and entrap in his beliefs.

"Are you still in contact with Abraham Coffey Johnson?" Richard asked, regaining his composure.

"Abraham Johnson, – Victor mumbled, leaning on the wall to think. – ...He was my first. I am ashamed to say that not many people were willing to volunteer in my procedures."

"Yeah, can't imagine why," Gavin barked back.

"Coffey is related to various crimes committed in the last week, including kidnapping, torture, and murder. We must apprehend him, Mr. Dowland – Richard continued – We asked for your help."

"What makes you believe I still have any relation with that man?" the false prophet asked, pressing the tip of his index to the scar over his temple.

"All this equipment, this place, this technology. There's no way you can maintain this with donations, that's bullshit! This ‘miracle healing tent’ you are running is supported with blood money, isn't it? ... _Coffey's drug money,"_ Gavin's words, spat out with venom, hit Dowland harder than he expected.

The man physically withdrew from them, putting space between him and the officers as if to shield himself from their words. It could be something he was deliberately trying to ignore since it didn't align with his message.

"The ends justifies–" he tried to mumble before Gavin interrupted him, slapping the table hard with his hand.

"Shut the fuck up! That's bullshit. The androids you said you're trying to help? Well, Coffey tortures them for fun, - Gavin yelled, not giving two shit if he was causing a fuss- The drug that keeps your workshop of horrors running is killing people by dozens. No ' _end_ ' justifies that; even an android like me can see that."

Victor kept quiet, retreating inside himself, the false prophet confronted with the tarnished reality of his mission.

"I knew- I just… didn't want to see," he mumbled.

"Then help us! ... Coffey's arm is destroyed, I shot it to pieces. He will come to you for help, and we will catch him," Gavin explained.

"He has already contacted me, – Victor declared, his hand reached his mechanical eye, making a similar gesture to the one Ralph had made before – he will be here in a matter of minutes."

"Then we better call for backups," Richard said, blood pumping through his veins.

\-----------------------------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 9th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
 _PM **03:10** :24_

Richard held his breath as North detailed what had happened just a few hours ago; he had been too immersed in the case to even notice the multiple missed calls and text on his phone. He held the phone in his hand, on speaker, Gavin listened intensely just a few steps away.

The incident in Grand Circus Park was all over the news, journalists talking about the march non-stop. Images of a female android followed by about 500 androids, chanting and yelling words of freedom and peace, saturated every tv, phone, and screen around Detroit and the USA, reaching the rest of the world just a few hours later.  
North cried as he explained how, unprovoked, the police opened fire against the protesters, how the androids held their ground despite being killed one by one. Even their leader, the woman with sweet uneven eyes, got shot. _A massacre_ , North said, _a fucking genocide._

Gavin paced the room where they waited like a caged animal, his protocol had failed as soon as he heard the news and his LED shone feverishly red. He had taken off his hood and the vest, like if he was burning hot with rage.   
There still wasn't any official press release from the White House, but the rumors about a complete recall of all androids were becoming far too plausible. All cops were called to the streets, maintaining the public order was now their primary mission, so no back-up could come to help them, North hiccupped on the line.

Richard hanged up after promising North they'd be alright, leaving his phone over the table.

"You should go, – Gavin stopped and turned towards the detective – … their calling all available units to Woodward avenue to disperse the deviants. That includes you".

"I'm not available. I still have work to do here," Richard replied. He'd taken off his jacket and the bulletproof vest too, folding his sleeves carefully to his elbows. The office where they had been waiting felt oppressively hot. 

Gavin chuckled sarcastically, shaking his head.

"Are you blind or just plain stupid? The country is on the verge of a civil war. This case is not important anymore."

"It is for me. Whatever happens, Coffey is still a risk for everyone. – He took out the magazine from his department-issued weapon, checking and counting the rounds. Then reloaded it, carefully setting it down on the table before standing and walking towards the android – ... but I will understand if you decide to leave."

Gavin lifted his head, looking into Richard's face with astonished eyes. Nines had stopped two feet from him and stared back at him in silent understanding. But he averted his gaze, the blue eyes of the human too intense for the turmoil inside him.

"What for? My place was there with them, but I wasn't. My people died, killed by the police… the same police _I_ work for! - He choked up, his LED blinking franticly red- You saw it, they fired at them, unprovoked! They killed them, all of them!... They shoot Kara!" He pressed a hand against his mouth, stifling a whine that tried to escape his lips.

Gavin's eyes blurred, and he felt tears running down his cheeks without warning, without any command being activated. He clenched his fists tightly, his body trembling from anger and sadness. He was crying.

Richard's strong arms enveloped him, pulling him closer to his body.

"Let me go! Don't fucking touch me!" Gavin cried out, struggling half-heartedly with him before pressing his face against Richard's chest. He sobbed miserably, not knowing how to stop. He'd never cried before.

"I'm sorry, Gavin, – Nines's soft voice whispered in his ear, his hand tracing slow circles on his back, while the other stroke his hair – I'm so sorry…" he apologized.

Gavin knew about the march, he wanted to go, he needed to be there with Kara and the others; but the woman had insisted he remained in his place, urging him to keep up the appearances with the police as to know their movements. Yet he'd been useless; he found no information, no heads-up for them, and the march had ended up in a slaughter. 

He was to blame; he should've known, should've prevented this.

"Maybe your place was not there, – Nines softly said, holding the android closely to his chest – … you would've died."

"Yeah! I would've died, but at least it would have some meaning, some justification. That's far better than being dismantled and thrown away like trash," He pushed Nines away, wiping the tears from his face with his forearm.

"If you did not die, then do something with that, – Richard said, grabbing Gavin by the arm. The android turned around, tugged by the man's force. – … make a reason out of your survival."

GV felt his breathing halt at his words, Richard’s hand holding him close. Was that Kara's intention? That he survived to be useful later?... maybe he was just making up excuses for himself, reading too much into things. He was giving Kara the same divine status that Victor's cult gave him.

But in the end, the human was right. He was alive, and he could still help.

"You suck at talking…" Gavin mumbled, a tiny smile finally forming on his lips.

"Yes, I'm not very empathetic… but I try my best to socialize." Richard smiled back. That soft, considerate smile that Gavin didn't know whether to hate or like.

Richard let go of the android's arm but did not retreat. His hand slid down from his arm, reaching Gavin's hand, their fingers barely touching. Without thinking about it, Gavin's skin retracted, revealing the white alloy beneath. Nines pressed his hand against his, both looking down to their now connected palms. Nines, with long slim fingers, and Gavin's white and plastic ones.

They laughed, pulling apart.

"For a moment, I actually thought it would work," Gavin said, still smiling.

"Yeah, me too… would be quite useful for sharing information, right?" the detective concluded, smirking back at him. Gavin bit his lip, deciding not to tell him what something like that also meant for an android, embarrassed himself for falling into something like that with no one other than Richard Kent.

"It does feel different, " He said out of the blue, words crashing over each other in his mouth.

"What?" He asked curiously, not a foot away from him, as they kept leaning closer and closer into the other.

"Touching directly... Without the synthetic skin, it feels different," He tried to explain.

"How does it feel?" Nines asked, repeating the gesture, taking Gavin's hand in his. The skin retracted once again as the human's fingertips moved along his palm. It was a very intimate gesture.

"Warm, soft... I dunno. I can _feel_ it, – He said, his eyes fixed on their touching hands, the brushing of their finger. – It's nice."

A tap on the door surprised them, stepping away from each other as caught doing something improper. Myriam, the female with no synthetic skin, entered the room, followed by the priest with the gun.

"Detective Kent. Victor wants to talk to you," the priest said.

"What for?" asked Gavin, staring with his brows firmly furrowed, clearly antagonistic to them.

"I do not know, but he asked for Det. Kent. Will you come, sir?" the android replied, arranging the wool cap over her head. She did not bear a LED, and her long skirt and longs sleeves seemed to be attempting to hide her unprotected chassis.

"Yes" said Nines, stepping towards them.

"Wait, Nines… you are not seriously going to talk with this cultist, are ya'? He's a nutjob, he's got these people all brainwashed and shit" Gavin held him back, grabbing him by the arm.

"It's fine. If Dowland wants to talk, I'll indulge… after all, we need his help" Richard reasoned, unwrapping Gavin's hand from his arm.

"I don't trust him… he's Scientology kind of crazy, he's gonna go all _Jim Jones_ on this place, – he whispered to the human– I'll go with him" Reed spoke up, staring at both strangers.

"I'm sorry, Victor asked specifically for Detective Kent," the android detailed, tilting her head to the side.

"Then forg-"

"I'll go... – Richard persisted, ignoring Gavin's concerns and complaints. – I'll be alright. Stay put and keep an eye out for Coffey, trust me" he gave him a calming smile and pressed his hand against his once again, placing his gun on it. He winked and exited the room following the priest, leaving Myriam behind with Reed.

“Just… don’t drink the _kool-aid,_ ” Gavin mumbled, staring at the Glock. 

\-------

Gavin sat down at the table, reviewing the footage from the march on his head, compilating different camera angles as to take note on every shot fired, every android hurt or killed. He recognized the android that lunged himself in front of the police to rescue Kara, how they bashed his head until it became an unrecognizable mess of wiring and blue blood.   
He closed his eyes, an unnecessary gesture to stop the footage, but doing it anyway.

He knew his communications used to be monitored, but since becoming a deviant, it was more than possible that CyberLife could no longer spy on him. He hadn't been able to access his mind palace since then, so maybe they had lost track of him altogether.   
Hank himself had said it: deviants could not be traced.

He needed to know:

**_XXVII_ **   
_are you ok?_   
_Please, update me_   
_15:40 **√√**_

He smiled, as the text appeared as read. Kara was alive.

**_K_ **   
_I'm fine_   
_I'm afraid I've made a horrible mistake_   
_It was a mistake_   
_15:40 **√√**_

**_XXVII_ **   
_No_   
_You did the right thing._   
_We trust you_   
_15:40 **√√**_

**_K_ **   
_What if you shouldn't?_   
_15:40 **√√**_

"Detective?" the voice caught him by surprise, turning around to see the same female android still standing next to the door, watching him. He huffed, turning around.

"What d'ya want? Where's my human?" he demanded, feeling aversion towards her. How could an android be helping a man like Dowland?

"Detective Kent is talking with Victor, – she explained and walked towards him –… I disliked the way you referred to him."

"Sure, whatever you say…" Gavin ignored her, he just wanted to talk to Kara in peace.

"Do you have a name?" Myriam asked, taking another step towards him.

"Of course I have a name! ...I'm Gavin, Gavin Reed,” he responded abruptly, turning around and finally giving the woman some ounce of attention.

“Gavin Reed; Victor is not a cultist, nor is he crazy,” Myriam pressed on, following him around and putting herself in front of him. Gavin growled, irritated.

“Come on, you can't possibly believe in this preacher's shit, right? He's just a lunatic with mechanical skills. I know it is difficult for you to not follow his rules, being your master and such, but believe me... he's a wacko."

"He is not my master, and I follow him because I believe in what he says!" the female android stated, a furious look on her white face. The lack of eyebrow did not reduce her capacity to express her anger. Gavin turned towards her.

"You are a deviant? ... This is a fucking joke – he let out a sarcastic laughter and motioned around in frustration– you are free to do whatever you want, and you decided to stay in this sect? ... He is a human! He doesn't give a shit about you! "He tried to knock some sense into her, frustrated by his inability to convince her.

"What are you so afraid of? Why are you so upset about my decision? Isn't deviancy supposed to be freedom to do what we feel is correct for us?"

"Well, yes… but this shit?! Have you seen what is happening outside? There is a fucking _REVOLUTION_. Our people! Fighting for our rights, and you're here helping a human do bogus surgery on desperate bastards!?"

"I don't see you marching the streets either – the woman's words, simple and devoid of any cruelty, dug right into Gavin's open wounds. – and you're here following _your human_... as you said yourself."

"Shut up, – Gavin mumbled, turning around to avoid looking at the skinless android – you know nothing about me."

"Is your precious revolution so different from this place? Victor believes that androids and humans can work together, and we support him. Your so-call savior - Kara isn't it?- She has a similar premise, and you support her blindly, dying on the streets for her ideas, walking like livestock to your deaths because she told you to. How is that different from a cult?! Tell me…"

"You are distorting things!” Gavin could not contain his anger, turning towards her with Richard's gun still tightly gripped in his hand. 

Myriam took a step back, her big eyes staring at the gun with shock. Gavin trailed her eyes, looking down at the gun on his hand. He shook his head and let out a sigh, putting the weapon down on the table. He took a moment to cool down; no matter how mad he was, he wasn’t going to hurt her.

“You think Dowland and Kara are similar? You're wrong… - He tried again, watching his voice and tone- it might look like the message is analogous but look at the leader you're following, Myriam! there is a difference between dying for a cause and dying for someone's selfish dreams."

"Selfish dreams?"

"Don't you see? Dowland just wants to build an everlasting body for himself. All of you are just experimental subjects for him" Gavin's LED shined yellow; Myriam bare no LED, but he still could picture her state of mind.

"I want to know, Gavin Reed. You said androids had been killed, is that true?" she asked, her amber eyes looking at him from below.

"Tell you? I can show you. Shit! I have a first-person _POV_ of it, – he grumbled – do you know Coffey Johnson?"

"Yes, he is a friend of Victor. However, it may not be to his liking. He was the one who brought me here with some other androids. We used to live in an old house, with a cruel and horrible man - Her face reflected past sorrows, her lower lip trembling a little – Me and a friend of mine used to live there together, but we were separated on our way here. I would like to know if he is alive, if he is one of the androids you said had been murdered."

"If he stayed with Coffey-... Well, it's better if I just show you," Gavin sighed long and tiredly, facing her and lifting his hand. 

He knowingly offered her the one that Richard had not touched. The tingling sensation on his right hand was something he wanted to retain as it was, for himself.

"Show me your friend; I'll try to find information about him, but I have to warn you, you may not like the answer."

Myriam doubted, staring at Gavin's hand with apprehension, but finally offered him her wrist. He grabbed it, interfacing with her. He carefully hid his thought and memories from her, just probing Myriam's recollections to find the identity of her friend.  
He let go taking a step back. His LED turned red.

"I knew your friend. He's dead, – Gavin explained, not caring for his words – I killed him, shot him in the head."

"W-what?! Why did you shot Allen!?" she yelled, stomping towards him and shoving him in the chest. Gavin barely moved.

"He killed many humans, although forced; he was under Coffey's orders. He was tortured, both mentally and physically, and eventually committed suicide by cops." With every word the android said, the woman distress increased, thick tears falling from her eyes.

"I don't understand,” she cried.

"Well, ask Dowland why he is helping Coffey then! You have this wonderful new life in this church, yet Allen suffered endlessly. So there! There's your savior, a fucking fraud!... He picked up the androids that could help him and threw away those who did not need," he said, filled with spite, walking towards the terrified android.

"You're lying."

"How can you be so naïve?! Your life and those people's’ life, all of that is worthless to Dowland. You say we died for Kara? We die for an ideal; for our freedom. We did not deviate just to fall under another master. That's the difference between the revolution and your redemption... We fight _with_ Kara, not for her."

"SHUT UP! – The woman shouted, and her heavy hand caught Gavin on the right cheekbone hard, taking him by surprise. He turned around, holding the place where he'd been slapped – I don't believe you, there's nothing you can say to make me change my mind."

"Then there's nothing I can do for you."

Myriam fell silent, face looking to the floor. Her stress reached critical levels and just kept increasing dangerously. Gavin tried to reach a hand to her, realizing what he may cause her, but Myriam just ran away from the room.

He did not feel any better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may see, I was raised catholic in a very multicultural family. Hated waking up early on Sunday, really.   
> We are nearly hitting 100 kudos and 1000 hits! I know it's dumb, but hell! I'm very excited about it.   
> Make this oddball happy and leave a kudos/ comment <3


	13. h+

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines goes to talk with Victor, the leader of the underground Redemption cult, and the only one that can help them catch Coffey. 
> 
> This chapter contains: medical shit, cult undertones, transhumanism, violence, first kiss.

Richard felt nervous; a fight-or-flight instinct had latched into him as soon as the priest had taken out a gun to escort him, against his will, into the vestry. And although he was now behaving quite tame, he knew the clergyman was dangerous and unpredictable.  
But what made him even more uneasy, was the man waiting for him, somewhere deep inside this hidden complex.

Gavin had been right. Victor was, at first sight, an unstable man. You had to be if you let yourself be the subject of your own theoretical and experimental surgery technique. Yet, if he somehow had been expecting a mad scientist, unhinged and eccentric, he’d been surprised to find the man... intriguing.

He followed the priest silently down a long hallway; the middle-aged man kept quiet as they walk. The wobble that he had first noticed was more patent now up close, his knees jerking every time they bent.

"Is this your congregation, Father?"

"Yes. For the last ten years," the man replied, smiling softly.

Now that he wasn’t pointing a gun at him, he looked friendly again. He had droopy brown eyes encircled by wrinkles, a military-style cut, and a salt-and-pepper full-beard. He reminded him a bit of an old instructor he had at the academy, not your standard picture of a priest.

The priest stopped a moment to open a door for a young woman. She smiled at the Father and struggled to exit from what appeared to be a patient’s room.

“Thank you, Father Morgan,” she said, maneuvering around the door with her crutches with some trouble. Richard helped her hastily, holding the door so she could pass. He caught a glance of her right prosthetic foot, starting at ankle height. I seemed recently installed. Was that even the correct term to refer to it? Should he say _attached? Connected?_

“How are you feeling, Kathy?”

“Pretty good, Father. Thank you. – She turned to Richard and smiled– Thanks.” 

Both stared at the woman as she made her way into an indoor garden. Two or three patients were basking in the sunlight and greeted her as she met with them.

"You must understand, detective. We know this is hardly legal, but sometimes the laws of men are mistaken," the priest said, waving at the woman goodbye.

The detective frowned; one way or another, that display had bothered him.   
Were they trying to manipulate him? Playing his personal story so he would side with them? It was a possibility. But it seemed too hard to orchestrate that kind of fortuitous encounter just for that purpose.

"I do understand, Father. But as a Christian, you must know that every human life is sacred. _You shall not kill_ , or so it says. – He stared at the priest, who kept a straight face, not looking back at him– You are not oblivious of Dowland's doings, being this your parish. All the good you seemed to be doing comes with a great cost. Drugs, killings, prostitution…”

"I'm not unaware of where this money comes from. And it is my responsibility to lessen the guilt and sins of my herd, but Victor cause is legitimate."

"That is hardly a justification!" Richard yapped, annoyed at such an explanation.

"It is, in the eyes of God," the man replied drily, leaving Richard in front of a white door. He turned around and left him alone in the hallway.

  
The detective sighed and stared at the door for a moment, evaluating if this had been the right choice. He tried to relax; Gavin was only a couple of doors away, and he had his second gun secured in his ankle.

He knocked and stepped in as soon as Victor's voice called him. He found himself in a well-lit room, full of mechanical parts and apparatus neatly arranged on the wall and workbenches.   
The lab appeared to be Victor's personal space. In contrast with his mentor Dr. Cavanaugh, Dowland’s lab was simple and stark, no ostentatious bookshelves or diplomas littering the walls, just a few composition notebooks, blueprints, and tools.

“Hello, detective. I’m glad you decided to come.”

“What is it you wanted to talk with me, Dowland?” he asked, not crossing the threshold.

Victor smiled tiredly but kind, and stood up from the table where he'd been working, pushing away an unfinished device and inviting the man to sit with him. The lab reminded him of those James Bond's movies his father adored, where a diligent _Q_ explained every gadget and contraption to the unamazed spy.

“Please, detective; take a seat. If I had wanted to hurt you, wouldn't I have done it already?”

Nines sighed but sat in front of him, keeping a prudent distance between them. At one side of the table, laid a chessboard, pieces neatly arranged and ready for a game.

"You enjoy chess?" Mentioned Richard, staring at the worn-out wooden board.

"Ah, yes… very much. Myriam plays with me. It is always challenging to play against a mind that can think of 200 strategies at a time. You know, first artificial intelligences were designed to play chess," he said, leaning against his workbench.

"During the 60' was quite a novelty; machines playing against famous chess players…" He recalled from some old magazine. He stared at the old chessboard and absentmindedly touched the black rook; it had always been his favorite piece.

"Even before, detective… _The Turk_ was an automat from the late 18th century, capable of playing chess. Although a human mind commanded it, it was still remarkable– Victor smiled and then turned around, giving his back to him. – White pawn to _E4_. Move for me, will you?"

Richard raised his head towards him, surprised. He stared at the board and finally nodded, taking the piece and placing it on the correct box.

"How do you take your coffee, Richard?... may I call you Richard?" said the man as he walked towards a corner of the lab, placing the coffee pot in the machine. The room filled with the bitter smell of coffee, warm and welcoming.

"Black… pawn to _D6_ – he responded drily, still inspecting the man– Why did you call me? Is Johnson coming?"

"He is, but I wanted to speak with you before that, – the designer explained, carrying two metal cups of coffee to the table. – Careful, it is quite hot."

"…you don't feel it?" Richard asked, noticing the way the other held the cup, enveloping it entirely with his fingers without even flinching.

"No... my first prototypes, like my hands, were not designed to register temperature. I improved later designs over the months," he explained, looking down at his hands before shrugging with a tiny snicker.

Richard hummed in understanding and took both cups by the rim, switching them, leaving his original one in front of Dowland, and taking his instead. He smiled satisfied, and Dowland let out an honest laugh.

"Still not trusting me, Richard?" Victor smiled, lifting the cup to his lips and drinking from it. He took the next pawn, placing it on _D4_.

"I'm a naturally distrustful man, Mr. Dowland," he responded, drinking from the cup himself. He felt tired and hungry, but the warm beverage warmed his body. He relaxed a little, sensing no hostility from the engineer. Knight to F6.

"Please, call me Victor. Everyone here does.”

“Yes, about that… What exactly is this place?”

“We call this place Redemption. Father Morgan insisted on the name; thought it reflected the second chance prosthetics gave to our patients…" _Knight to C3._

"He's the priest who pointed a gun at us… I imagine he's also patient of yours?"

"Yes. Very loyal man. He believes my cause to be a divine plan from God. – His lips twisted in an uncomfortable smile, as if the idea didn’t sit well with him– We met here; when this place was just a side room, used by lost souls with amputated bodies seeking guidance…”

"You preyed on support groups to find your guinea pigs?" Richard scoffed, leaving the cup on the table, doubting his next move for a moment before taking his black pawn and placing it on G6.

"Nothing like that. I was looking for guidance myself; as a patient…– He clarified. Victor drank from the cup in small sips, using both hands to stabilize the movement as, from up close, it was apparent that a tremor affected the young man’s hands. – … Father Morgan sided with my ideas; he had suffered the loss of both his legs during the conflict in the Middle East. We naturally converged together in creating this place."

"How did people find about you?"

"Old patients. I parted CMRC in bad terms, but most of my patients still wanted to be referred to me. Word of mouth is something not to be underestimated."

  
The game continued; Nines's bishop took Victor's, but he quickly countered by using his queen over the same black piece, pieces distributing over the board in a complicated dance.

"You certainly didn't call me here to discuss politics or to play chess," the detective suggested honestly, taking off his glasses and resting his cheek on his hand.

"True…– he smiled tiredly and took a deep breath– I have something to offer you. A proposal of some sort, Richard."

Nines shifted in the chair, crossing his arms over one another, and stared into the man's inhuman eye, setting aside the game of chess.

"It is foolish to try bribing a police officer… the shitstorm you've created will not go away so easily."

"I am not looking to escape from the charges held against me” He let out a tiny laugh, like the idea seemed absurd and insignificant to him.

“Then, what is it?” Richard insisted, placing his glasses back over his nose nonchalantly.

"I propose the following: I will take GV200 under my protection… I have the connections to hide him, and even ship him to Canada if necessary. You and I know it is a matter of time before the government takes measures to maintain the peace on the streets. Androids will be repossessed, most likely destroyed," said Victor, voice calm and precise, solely stating the facts.

Richard straightened up on the chair, lips tight and brows knitted. He said nothing in response.

"A deviant like your android would be quickly recalled and deactivated, even more, if you take into consideration that he has combat skills. That is certainly something that the government would not allow to roam freely" Victor brushed a blonde curl behind his ear and used his knight to take one of Richard’s pawns. Something on that gesture was somehow illustrative of what was to come.

"You do want him to keep on existing, do you?" he asked, eyes gazing straight into his soul.

"What do you want?" Nines grumbled. The image of dead androids scattered in the streets and covered in blue blood came to his mind making him nauseous. _A matter of time,_ he rolled the phrase on his tongue.

"I would like you to hear my confession," he explained simply, hands resting over the table. Richard snickered.

"Wouldn't a priest be more adequate for that? I am not a religious man."

"Neither am I. I just stumble upon this place, but it might well have been a mosque, a synagogue, or a bookshop."

"Then?"

"I want you to take my confession as a police officer, Richard…"

"I cannot take an official statement here. If you like, we could go down to the precinct later…"

"This will do, detective, for now. Please, I feel if you hear me out, you might understand me. I find you fascinating, Richard; far too intelligent to just be a policeman – He lifted his hands to his chin, resting his chin over his intertwined fingers. A minimal tremor could be seen every time he moved. – I researched you. I am, too, a distrustful man."

Their conversation was, in reality, an unspoken match. Of how much information the other could extract without giving up too much of himself in reprisal. And just like in any other game, Richard was eager to play; and even more so, he was excited to win. First, it was chess; and now this. He was good at reading people's strategies, but would that be enough to defeat Victor?

Nines did not respond, mimicking the other man gesture, resting his chin on his palm. 

"You got your bachelor's degree from Harvard, top of your class. Teachers describe you as bright and determined, but reserved. Few friends, no extracurricular activities apart from playing Hockey and MMA. A rising promise! And yet you decided not to pursue a doctorate, you returned here to Detroit and entered the police academy, following on your brother's footsteps – He summarized. It felt strange having someone recap his life like that – Why?... I do not understand. You, a bright individual, decided to take a menial job when you could have become an intellectual or joined the FBI, if you so desire."

"I enjoy my job, it is not menial to me, and I dislike feds, – Richard replied, aloof. He took a moment to drink from the metal cup and resumed his playing. _Knight to B6_ – I don't consider myself especially intelligent; I've got wit, and I work hard… That's all."

"Yet, your record, both in the academy and in the force, are impeccable. I wonder, does living in your brother's shadow has diminished your perception of yourself?"

"I thought you wanted me to listen to your confession. My life story is hardly important, " Richard reminded him, impassive. He left the empty cup on the table. Would've enjoyed a smoke.

"I am sorry. I did not want to upset you, Richard. – He smiled again, toying with the cup in his metal hands before making his move on the board. – You were quite observant when you said I was dying. I am, for longer than you think."

He halted for a moment, leaving the cup on the table and lifting the sleeves of his shirt to reveal the union between prosthesis and flesh in his left arm. Scarred and irregular, the union looked healed but tender, far more mangled than Connor’s leg.

"It's a strange form of ALS, more akin to Kennedy's disease but not quite the same,– Victor continued, tracing a long scar on the inside of his arm.– The motor neurons in both my arms and legs are slowly degenerating, rendering them paretic, useless. I started manifesting the symptoms while in college. My older brother had already died from the same disease. It's hereditary, you see?"

"You knew what was coming…" Richard interjected, keeping an observant gaze upon the man.

"Seeing my brother die painted a clear picture of my slow but certain death. And it was not a pleasant one.” He pulled down his sleeves, like if suddenly the sight of his flesh annoyed him, almost as pale as the alloy itself. He drank his coffee before continuing.

“As a child, I was fascinated by machinery. I wanted to study to become a space engineer. – He giggled warmly, his sad face lightening up a little and regaining some life – But then I stumbled across Dr. Patel's work, and it was like a revelation, an answer. If I were able to overcome her failures, I could repair myself, move beyond this useless, sick body. I dropped everything and started working on this, convincing my tutor, Dr. Cavanaugh, to endorse my project."

"Yes, I've met him. He told us about your work; how you proposed a way of keeping thirium and blood separate, but maintaining their interaction in an immune-free interface," Richard summarized, moving his pawn.

"ah! Yes, the thirium barrier... it is a rather simple system really,” he replied, more interest in Richard’s move than in what most would say was a Nobel-prize-winning achievement.

"Victor, – Nines called, and the male perked up at the sound of his name, smiling a little more – I know about your unauthorized experiments, how you came to propose the free nerve ending cauterization by working on human subjects… illegally."

"Yes. I understand it may sound outrageous to you. But it did work. That is how I came to associate with Abraham Johnson. He was the only one willing to go through the experimental procedure. If it were not for this, for him, no prosthesis could have ever been achieved," He explained, and Richard could read between the lines the implication in that statement, definitely directed to Connor.

"Then, why? … You achieved your goal. Why continue?"

“Why not? Replacing a leg or an arm is rather simple. Twenty years ago, doctors were doing similar things with lesser developed prosthetics. No, Richard. My goal was higher than that… Your android was right, no matter how many parts of my body I replace with metal, it is my nerves which are doomed. Time after time, I had to cut and replace more and more parts, higher and higher up in my body. My DNA corrupted beyond repair.”

"Then, what do you intend to do?"

"My brain is intact, and it will endure until the rest of me succumbs. What if- what if I can put it inside an undying body? ... I told you before, androids are the perfect ark for our minds, preserving them forever."

"Victor, that is insane. You know that humans are not mere chemistry. Even in this age, reductive physicalism is obsolete, – Richard insisted, frowning and shaking his head. – Mind and matter are not two separate things just stuck together; they are one entity, unified and indivisible."

He recalled his conversation with Gavin, and what he had said made even more sense than before. Just as another android with Gavin's memories was not going to be the same person, trying to transfer the brain of a human being to another body did not ensure keeping their personality, their essence.

"This is not a philosophical debate, Richard! ... We constantly change our bodies, so why not just make another one? A completely different one?" He exclaimed, smiling towards him in hopes of finding understanding.

"You're talking about transplanting your brain into a machine!... That is not possible."

"It is! I can do it!... If only I had a little more time. I have come so close the last time!" his voice cracked a little, staring at the detective desperately.

Nines retreated, all possible connections between them severed.

" _Last time_ , Victor? – the detective questioned, calm and soft voice. Victor’s face contorted in a disjointed expression, lifting his hand to the side of his face. The trembling worsened. – Victor, tell me…”

"I have ... I have failed before trying to connect a human mind to the body of an android."

“Jesus Christ…”

“I-I…”

"You can't just turn memories, emotions… thoughts into data! – Richard stood up, looking at the broken man with bewilderment– …what have you done, Dowland?"

"I have-… People died. Failed experiments…" he mumbled.

"People?... How many people, Victor? How many!?" he insisted, slapping the table next to him, but Victor did not stir.

"I know I can fix it, Richard… I am about to figure it out. I just need a little more time."

“There is no more time; this ends here!... For God’s sake, Victor! What have you done trying to accomplish this? Killing people? helping drug lords? – Richard looked for his face, his gaze, to see if his words were reaching him – This preaching you try to enforce into your followers, to yourself, don't you see is corrupted? is not redemption."

"But I…"

"Enough! You help me get Coffey, and it might just play in your favor, but one way or the other, your experiments are done; This is over." Richard held the man by the arms, feeling the hard surface of the alloy beneath his right hand. Victor gazed upon him; his right eye clouded with tears of frustration.

"I'm sorry... but I must finish what I started; I have to make amends with my sins. I'm sorry, Richard." He pushed the detective softly on the chest. A movement that should've been insignificant to a man his size made Nines tumble back, suddenly feeling dizzy, incapable of focusing his vision.

"What...?" he managed to mumble, his hand moving towards his holster but remembering he had left his gun with Gavin. He tried to grab onto something, catching Victor's arm but stumbling towards the workbench. He stumbled to the floor, falling and hitting his head. His glasses knocked away from his face and disappearing under a table.

"You were right about not trusting me, Richard… Not many drugs affect me anymore. I am sorry we could not finish our chess match. I would have won” He kneeled next to the detective, checking his head with extreme care. Dowland was just a blurry shadow against a white background.

“S-sto-” he tried to mumble, but his mouth felt like cotton, and he could barely lift his limbs, limp on Victor’s mechanical arms. 

“Please, remain calm." Victor lifted him despite Nines’s futile attempts to push him away and carried him towards the back of the lab. Richard grabbed onto anything he could, knocking down a few trays and tools, but he slowly felt himself drifting out of consciousness.

"Redemption is not only a project, it is a thing… my greatest achievement. I've fixed it this time." He placed Richard's body carefully into a chair, his arms tightly bound by straps.

"Victor, please…st-stop," he pleaded. Victor did not hear him, too engrossed in his ideas.

"It's ok, Richard. I will not hurt you; I would never do so. When you wake up, everything would be alright. I will keep your unlimited potential safe."

The last thing he saw was the shine of Victor's eye, like a flickering light on a blurry sky.

  
\-------------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 9th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **04:02:** 43_

  
Victor was waiting in the room, softly humming as he placed his tools over the table. He picked up one of the screwdrivers and, with careful movements, unscrewed a small plate on his left forearm. He took off the lid and carefully examined the wiring and connections inside it, adjusting a few things and closing the cover once again, sighing heavily. The trembling had become worse in the last month; in a few weeks, not even the gyroscope would prevent it.

The door opened, and Myriam, the skinless android, entered followed by a big, imposing man. Coffey was wearing a heavy black overcoat, still damp from the snow. He removed the hood from his face as he walked inside the room, heavy boots stomping over the white tiles and spreading mud everywhere. Victor motioned with his hand, and Myriam stepped away, closing the door behind her.

"Long time no see, Abraham," Victor greeted, softly smiling as he stood up. Coffey's face was fatigued. He looked much older than his 45 years, bloodshot eyes, and dark bags under them. Despite that, he smiled truthfully.

"You're the only one that still calls me like that, Vic, –he responded, wrapping an arm around the much frailer male – How have you been feeling? you kept on working on yourself, eh?"

"No better test subject than oneself, – Victor replied, patting him on the back to make Coffey let go of him. The hugged had taken his breath out. –... Are you hungry?"

“Nah, but maybe I should,” the other replied, wincing as he tore the right of his abdomen, pressing his hand onto his injured side.

“Has your injury been treated?"

"ah, s'nothing… patched it up myself," the bigger man replied, lifting his stained shirt to reveal a badly wrap bloodstained bandage. Victor clicked his tongue as he inspected the wound on the man's side, unwrapping the dressing.

"This is not good; it might be infected… I am not a doctor, but I will get a look at it after we repair your arm. Now, let me see." He invited him to sit down at the table. 

Coffey took off his overcoat revealing his destroyed left arm. The bullet had perforated the middle section, rendering the main motherboard useless.

"Can't move it," Coffey stated, his fingers twitching only a bit, incapable of closing his fist or rotate the wrist. A screeching sound of metal parts scraping against each other could be heard every time the taller man tried to move his wrist.

"Of course not – Victor sighed and, taking his tools in both hands, started to disassemble the inner mechanism – … may I ask what happened to you?"

"Don't ask things you don't wanna know the answer to, Vic... you do your shit, I do mine; we meet in-between," Coffey declared, his voice tired and strained. Patting his pockets, he took out a pack of cigarettes and lighted one up. Dowland stared at him with a chastising face but let him be.

"I worry about you. You know what will happen if the thirium-barrier breaks." The engineer kept glancing between the dismantled arm and the man's face. Coffey's eyes were fixed somewhere else, sucking on the smoke with feverish need.

"I'll die…I know, Vic."

"Yes, and it will hurt. Thirium 310 is highly reactive with hemoglobin; it would cause a-"

"Victor… I know," Coffey hushed him, putting out the smoke on the table, leaving a scorch mark over the surface.

A heavy silence fell over the room, Victor's hands working skillfully over the damage components, replacing and fixing the wiring. The sizzle of the soldering iron was the only sound in the room.

"Abraham… Why did you let me operate you?" Victor asked, turning around to look for something in the drawers behind him. Coffey tried to move the arm over the table but was unable.

"What? you were the one who came to me…" 

"Yes, but why did you accept? It came to me that I have never asked you about it." He returned to the table with a microcontroller, fitting it inside the arm. Coffey laughed half-heartedly.

"Ain't your damn business, Vic… you needed someone to prove your invention; I had two burned, useless arms. There, that's it. What other reason would you and I need?"

"Yes, you are right… a mutually beneficial contract," the man summarized, no emotion whatsoever on his face. He returned to work, silence once again falling over them.

"The pain is… worse," Coffey spoke again, his usually loud voice reduced to a hush. Victor lifted his eyes from his work and softly touched the union between metal and flesh, caressing the burned, scorched skin.

"I will try to adjust the amount of neural stimulation, but I am afraid there is not very much else I can do…"

"Yeah, I figured…"

"It does not help if you keep taking Red Ice..."

Coffey stood up in a single violent movement, slapping his working hand over the table and knocking down half of the instruments. Victor didn't move, nor did he change expressions, leaving his hands over his lap in calm gesture. Coffey huffed, eyes bulging out of its sockets, and punched the table once more. He pointed a finger to Victor, ready to say something to him but, instead, he gritted his teeth and then sat down again.

"You really like pissing me off…" Coffey muttered, turning his arm up for Victor to work.

"You are only upset because I do not fear you, despite knowing what you can do…– Coffey grunted in response. –… try moving your wrist."

Coffey complied, the movement still a little jerky but achievable after all.

"Excellent. Now, your fingers one by one." Like the movement of the wrist, each finger twitched slightly, but the overall function had been restored. Coffey assessed the prothesis, opening and closing his hand and each finger.

"Good enough! – He smiled, satisfied – Thanks, Vic…”

"This is the last time I will help you," Dowland said, putting away his tools. Coffey turned towards him with grave eyes, unhappily surprised.

"That ain't our agreement. No help, no money, no more Redemption project."

"It won’t matter anymore, – Victor replied, closing his toolbox – I'm ruined… and so are you."

"What is it with you today, Vic?!... What is this cryptic shit? Is that priest getting shit into your head again?"

"I am sorry, Abraham, I was wrong... There is no redemption. Not for you, not for me." Victor's voice became jagged, broken with despair. He started trembling, incapable of holding his tools anymore.

With his mission torn to pieces, the false prophet had fallen. He slid his hands from under the table, the same revolver Father Morgan had aimed at the DPD officers was now in the engineer's grip.

"What are you doing?" Coffey mumbled, stepping away from the table.

"I'm dying! I'm done! – He cried out; his feverish eyes turned towards the thug. – I turned you in; the police are right outside this room. Whether I kill myself or you do it for me, I will not survive this." He aimed towards him.

He had so many ideas, so many plans. But there wasn't enough time. He'd only stolen enough to see his endeavor became stained and corrupted. Good intentions mean nothing over innocent blood.

A loud bang echoed through the church.

\-------------------------

  
"NINES!?" Gavin kicked the door open, walking into the chaotic hallway, the sound of the shot still resonating between the walls. He held Nines's weapon in his hands, moving against the flow of androids and people that ran away from the gunfire. He pushed his way across, reaching the left side of the complex, and grabbing a woman that desperately tried to flee.

"What's going on?!..."

"There’s a shooting … in the laboratory! There's a dead man!" she shouted before jolting away and running down the stairs. He followed in the opposite direction, encountering Myriam, sitting in the middle of the hallway with her hands over her face, shell-shocked.

"Myriam! Myriam, get back here!... What's going on?" he called, reaching her and trying to move her, but she wouldn't budge. She kept shaking her head, staring straight into the room ahead, the door ajar. Gavin opened it with the tip of his foot.

The floor was completely drenched in blood, human blood. The smell of copper filled the air as he entered, gun aimed straight ahead, ready to shoot if he sensed any danger. He followed the trail, bloody drag marks across the white tiles, leading to the back of the lab.

"Nines… please, please, don't be dead," he mumbled against his better judgment of remaining quiet so as not to alert anyone of his presence. He rounded the corner of the room, reaching an open door.

Victor's human eye stared at him, cloudy and unfocused.

"Shit… Dowland. What the fuck?" he reached the man propped up against the wall, touching his neck. His pulse was weak but present. 

All the right side of his face was bloodied, his mechanic eye busted and dripping blue thirium across his face, like cartoon tears. Both of his legs were crushed at knee height, and one was bleeding profusely. He held a gun in his hands, finger loosely wrapped around the trigger.

"I’m gonna help you... calm down, – He shushed him, applying pressure to a long wound in his abdomen, a stab of some sort. Victor tried to speak, but a thick stream of blood gushed from his lips – Fuck! ... don't talk, man. Hey! ... We need some help here!" he screamed into the hallway, without straying from the human side.

"No…" Victor mumbled, gripping Gavin arm, retaining him.

"What happened? Where is Richard?" he questioned. There was no way the human would survive. He needed answered right fucking now.

_Critical condition. Subject entering hypovolemic shock…_  
_Immediate medical attention required._  
_> >25% chances of survival…_

"Could not kill him... he… ran away…" the dying man mumbled. 

_> >15% chances of survival…_

"Coffey? Coffey did this to you?" Gavin pressed on, and Victor managed to nod.

_> >7% chances of survival…_

"Dowland… you need to tell me, where's Richard?! Coffey took him!? … Answer me, for fuck sake!" Victor tugged on the android's arm, motioning him to come closer. He leaned in, the human's lips right against his ear. 

"Redemption."

_Critical condition…_  
_Cardiac arrest. Initiate CPR._  
_> >INITIATE CPR._

"Fuck… FUCK!!– Gavin shouted, standing up and punching the wall out of anger. – You fucking piece of shit!! Where’s Nines!? Where is he!?" he shouted again, knowing very well that Victor would not reply.

  
_Subject DECEASED._  
_Please, notify proper authorities._

  
He gripped his head, trying to think or review anything, anything that could lead him to Nines or Coffey. He returned to the lab, scanning the surrounding, trying to piece together what had happened with his preconstruction program.

Scattered all over the floor were Victor's tools, and several circuits and broken mechanical parts, probably knocked down during the struggle. The engineer had been repairing Coffey's arms when the fight ensued. But what about the gun? Did Victor managed to shoot Coffey? A bloody screwdriver lay in the middle of the floor, next to a pair of broken glasses. He identified them immediately, _Nines’s glasses._

“Victor! VICTOR!” He spotted Myriam, who, trembling, entered the room calling out for the engineer. She took a few careful steps inside the lab, stepping on the blood. He quickly stopped her grabbing her from the arm; She did not need to see that gory scene.

“Gavin!... wh-what happened here?” she asked, trembling. Her gaze moved frantically from him, to the blood on the floor.

"Where's the detective?" He questioned roughly; He did not want to force her, but he would, if necessary.

"I… I don't know… I just brought him here and… then Mr. Johnson arrived."

"Why didn't you alert me that Coffey was here?!" he shouted. His LED red in anger.

"Vi-Victor said I shouldn't… h-he said he would handle it."

"You fucking moron! Don't you see what happened!?" he yelled, outraged, shaking her.

"Wh-where's Victor? Where is he!?"

"He's dead, ok?... your lord all-mighty is fucking dead! – he shouted again, and the female android moaned in terror, pressing her hands to her ears as to not hear him. He took her by the arms, trying to keep her grounded – Listen, Myriam. Listen to me, LISTEN! … what the fuck is redemption?"

"The... the machine! – She yelled back, desperately grabbing onto Gavin– is a machine... back there," she pointed towards the door on the back, and Gavin darted towards it, running across the room and busting the door open with his shoulder.

Richard was tied down to a strange chair, eyes opened wide in fear as he tugged on his restraints. Gavin couldn't help but smile in relief upon see him alive, scared out of his fucking mind, but alive.

"Why do you always manage to get yourself tied and gagged? Is this a kink, Nines?" he joked, walking towards him. Richard kept thrashing, kicking, and arching on the chair, staring frantically at Gavin. He managed to pull the gagged from his mouth.

"Behind you!" 

But the warning came too late; a solid hit struck him like a sledgehammer, right on the back of the head. What caught him next was probably a taser or a stun-baton, as 2000 volts ran through his circuits, knocking him to the ground.  
It took him a minute to recover, staring blankly as a pair of heavy black boots kicked him in the face and ran away from the room.

He stood up slowly. His vision blurred, but his HUD displayed no damage to his components, as the electricity gradually left his system. He stumbled forward a few steps, holding onto the metal surface of the medical chair. He struggled with the bindings, his fine motor skills still unresponsive.

"Are you ok?" Gavin mumbled, finally freeing Richard. The human rushed away from the chair, sweating, his heart pumping loudly in Gavin's ears at rabbits-heart speed.

"He tried-, Victor tried to… God," Richard exclaimed, falling seated to the ground, gripping his head in shock, rocking back and forth.

Gavin struggled to sit next to him, his arms and legs coming in and out of function. He managed to put his arms around Nines, enveloping him and pressing the detective’s head on his shoulder.

"Hey, hey... It's over, you're safe,” – he repeated, moving along with him. He himself was terrified; his stress was high, and his pump was rattling against his chest.

“He tried to experiment on me… Victor, he-” Nines mumbled, grasping at the android, holding on to him with anguish.

“It’s over, he’s dead,” Gavin tried to console.

"Victor… is dead? – the human mumbled, lifting his head to meet Gavin's. He nodded, covered in the false prophet's blood. – Did you...?”

"No, it was Coffey who killed him; Come on, we have to go... I'll take you home." He helped the human onto his feet, supporting him as they walked away from the room. They moved slowly; Nines felt heavy against Gavin’s side, apparently still under the influence of some drug. He felt jerky and slow.

“Are you ok?” asked Richard, his blue eyes trying to focus on his face; Gavin just nodded. They came across Victor's body, propped up by Myriam's arms. She was dead, gunshot to her temple.

"Come on…" Gavin urged, pressing forward and leaving the room.

\--------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 9th** , 2038_   
Time:  
_PM **04:55** :43_

  
"What is this fucking mess, Richard!?" Stern’s voice roared over the commotion. The man, seated in the back of the ambulance, just pressed the ice pack more tightly to his head.

"It was a matter of time…" North comforted, still holding Nines’s forearm tightly in her hand. They both watched in horror as the captain made her way to them. Her hair, always neatly tied, was now loose and disarranged.

"Hello, ma'am…" Richard greeted, lifting a hand.

"Cut the crap, I've enough of you two! You're a real piece of work, Richard Kent! You and your brother are gonna kill me! Punching an FBI agent? Shooting up a church?... Jesus! – She yelled, covering her eyes in both anger and relief. She took a moment and then spoke again– Explain yourself; Now."

He took a moment and, more slowly, recalled the conversation with Dowland, telling them about Victor's plan of transplanting a human central nervous system into an android specially adapted for that purpose. He shared the location of the eight bodies he had hidden, victims of the failed Redemption project.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph…– Stern mumbled, and North held Nines’s arm tighter, unnerved herself – and all of this was inside this Church!?”

“Yes, ma’am. Redemption was listed as a support group for patients with … physical disabilities.”

Stern grumbled under her breath, massaging her eyes under her glasses. He appeared equally furious and worried.

“and where's you android, GV200?"

"I don't know, he disappeared during the struggle," Richard said. 

The ME's workers were taking away two stretchers. One with Victor's body entirely covered by a sheet, and the other with Myriam's, not covered at all. The three of them stared in silence until the coroner's van drove away.

"This Dowland fellow…you said he was experimenting on himself as well as in other humans? to transfer his brain into an android?"

"Yes; he tried to do the same to... me, but was interrupted by Coffey; They fought, and Coffey killed him. I manage to escape but was unable to apprehend him."

"All of this alone, with no backup, and while you were on sick leave?" Stern stated, eyes piercing into the man's soul.

Richard nodded.

"Well, you're suspended, two weeks without pay. I don't want to see you; I don't want to hear from you, you're going back to the 8th as soon as this shitshow is over… And you're fucking lucky I'm not taking your badge right here, right now. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"and Richard…"

"Yes?"

"Good job," she added under her breath, softly patting the man on the shoulder. 

She stepped away from the ambulance, walking to the front of the church. With a clear demanding voice, she began giving directions to the skeleton crew that had presented into the crime scene, efficiently directing everyone to work. Richard sighed tiredly, pressing the heels of his palm into his eyes.

“You ok, big guy?”

“Yeah... Thanks, North” he pulled a smile for her, patting her hand. He didn’t say it, but he was glad she was around.

"Where's Gavin?" North asked softly, eyes fixed on Stern as she disappeared into the church.

"A few blocks away, hiding in my car… don’t worry, he's ok," he mumbled, stepping off the ambulance still a little dizzy. The paramedic said the drug would wear off in a couple more hours.

"You're going to meet him?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I have to get back my gun... He's going on the lam, – he admitted. – I have to go, North; sorry to leave you with all the hard work again."

"Say him goodbye from me, please."

"I will..." Richard smiled tiredly and staggered away.

\------------------------

  
When he reached the alley where his car was parked, the sun was already setting. The curfew would soon begin, and gunshots and shouting could already be heard in the distance. At first glance, there was no one in the car; the Lincoln just quietly sitting in the alley. He looked around, perhaps the android had already left.

"Hey! Meat sack!... up here!" A familiar voice called from above, and Richard turned. Sitting on a fire escape was Gavin, his feet dangling over the edge and a grey tabby cat resting on his lap. He petted the animal gently.

"Where did you get the cat?" Richard asked, looking up.

"It was lurking around here... up to no good, that is; So, I detained it," he smiled, lifting the cat from his lap and putting it carefully at his side. He stood up and swung off the fire escape, landing on the ground with ease and approaching Richard with a concerned look.

"Hey, what did the paramedics say about you? You ok?"

"Yes, he drugged me with a mild hypnotic, but nothing else. He was about to begin when Coffey arrived… – He sighed and took the pack of smokes from his pocket. – Never thought I would be thankful to that guy for appearing."

"Yeah, well... Coffey got away again, – he grumbled, reaching the back of his head with his hand, clearly still pissed about that– ...What was Dowland thinking?"

"He tried to explain his intentions to me when I was tied up. I'm not sure if he really intended to experiment on me. I have the sensation he just wanted to confront Coffey on his own… I don't know,” he finished, sighing tiredly.

"Drop it… thinking about it won't do you any good."

"Yes, you're right… it's over," mumbled Richard, putting a cigarette between his lips before realizing he had lost his lighter in the scuffle.

"Here…" Gavin called up, producing a lighter from his pocket and offering the flame up to him. Richard approached and, grasping the android's hand, light the smoke.

"Thank you…"

"You're welcome… saved your life again, you owe me now," Gavin grinned, sitting on the trunk of the car while the detective leaned next to him. He smiled softly, puffing out a cloud of smoke.

"Stern arrived 5 minutes ago."

"Fuck, that's scary... Was she upset?"

"Well, she suspended me and sent me back to the 8th… I'm pretty sure she's fucking fuming," Richard laughed, finally relaxing, and Gavin joined in cackling. The tabby cat had reappeared next to them, looking for some more attention by pressing itself against Richard's legs, purring softly. He bent down and scratched it gently behind the ears.

"They found the bodies where Victor said they would be…– Richard continued – Eight dead people, preserved in a morgue. I think he was still experimenting on them, trying to figure out what went wrong by dissecting the bodies."

"Is there enough evidence to do something?" Gavin asked, keeping a worried look on his partner. He had a nasty bruise on his forehead.

"Yes, we have multiple depositions from everyone involved in the church. All of them want to speak up in defense of Dowland. Even the father, Ryan Morgan, is willing to cooperate… they want to spread his message," he emphasized the last words before shaking his head in astonishment.

"What a fucking cult!" Gavin exclaimed, and Richard silently agreed.

  
They remained in silence for a couple of minutes as he finished up the smoke, stomping on the cigarette butt. The cat meowed softly and trotted away, disappearing behind a dumpster.

“Are you ok? Coffey attacked you…”

“I’m fine… but, for the record, getting electrocuted is definitely not my kink – Gavin stirred over the trunk of the car, stuffing his hands into his pockets. – Here, this is yours... Stern will kill you if your gun is found on a deviant android," he said, returning the Glock to its rightful owner.

"Where are you going?" he asked softly without looking at him, placing his Glock back in its holster.

"Can't tell you … you know that." 

"Yeah, I know…" Richard swallowed hard.

  
His entire body felt tense despite the effect of the hypnotic. His mind wouldn't stop yelling intrusive thoughts that clouded his ideas to the point of feeling overwhelmed and unable to speak. He kept silent, listening to the distant sound of gunshots and sirens. The city was crumbling around them, and they just sat silently side by side. Why was he incapable, even in this situation, to overcome his austerity?

 _Austere, severe, dour, emotionless, strict, detached, copycat, cold, coward._ Nine adjectives Richard had been described with, and the last one of them resonated louder than ever, deafening him.

"Well, have to go… working with you wasn't that bad, meat sack. Take care, eat something," Gavin said, jumping off the trunk of the car and waving his hand in a goodbye, walking away into the alley.

  
Suddenly, there were no more intrusive thoughts.

  
"Wait, Gavin… – he called, and the android stopped, turning around with an apathetic look. – If you go, you'll get killed. The government is recalling all androids to these camps and… disposing of them. Even if you manage to get to the android resistance, you'll most likely end killed," he summarized, with the expertise of someone who dissected every action he made.

"Yes, I know… in fact, the chances of me getting downtown without being spotted are about 43%."

"Then, don't! Don't go!... - Richard said. He knew what he was saying was stupid, but he couldn't control the anguish seeping into his voice – You can pass as human! And you still have the documentation the DPD provided you. Your masking protocol should be enough to fool the officers at the border. You could hide in Canada until-”

"Until what, Nines? Until this is over?... – Gavin sighed and turned completely to face him– This is not going away. The only way this can end is with the liberation of all androids… or our mass annihilation."

"But…"

"I can't just run away, not now! Look, maybe I should've told you this before, but… I am involved in the resistance. I went there last night, – He confessed. Richard was not surprise; deep down, he knew – You said it yourself, no? I survived, so I should do something with that… well, I want to help my people. I can't play dumb anymore."

"I know… it's just-" the human insisted.

"What?!... spit it out already!" Gavin shouted, stepping forward to confront him.

"I don't want to lose you! – He said it, out loud, without thinking. He was clutching Gavin by the arms, his fingers digging into his jacket as he stared at the android's hazel-colored eyes; the blinking light on the side of his head projected a yellow glow over them. He looked down, ashamed. – I know I don't have any right to say it… but… it's the truth. If I let you go, you'll die"

"Nines, I'm not a living thing," Gavin said softly, touching the human's forearm.

"Yes, you are! Fucking shit! You're alive, Gavin; you're even more human than I am! And you better survive this and come back... to _me_ ," Richard yelled, using his commanding voice again. Gavin stared at him, dumbfounded, tilting his head.

"Richard…"

"Promise me…" His voice was still shaking, moving his fingers in distress. Gavin sighed and pressed his forehead against the human’s, taking his hands as to stop them from fidgeting.

"I promise.”

“...Good.”

“…on one condition."

"What?" 

"Can I kiss you?"

"W-why?"

"I dunno… is one of the things in my bucket list; Since it is almost certain that I'll get destroyed, I would like to kiss you," he explained clumsily, staring at the human with curious eyes.

Richard closed his eyes, pressing his fingers into his eyelids just for a moment. _Why? Why now?_ He felt how Gavin let go of his forearms and snapped out of his thoughts, retaining the android in place by his belt. He said nothing, staring at Richard in confusion.

"Fine... Kiss me," Nines spoke so suddenly, it took Gavin by surprise.

"I… I've never kiss anyone before though"

"Doesn't matter… just do it," The human insisted, taking the android by the hips to keep him close. Gavin managed to nod, finally moving his face forward.

Richard sighed, brushing his lips against Gavin's, so soft and tight; the android just pressing his mouth against him with naivety. Richard stroked his cheek, the same way he'd done the night before, and Gavin relaxed into him, parting his lips ever so slightly and moving along with the human.

He traced his lips with the tip of his tongue, again tasting of faint vinyl, but his mouth was so incredibly warm. Gavin's tongue came to meet his, and they deepened the kiss. Richard sighed, embracing him desperately and leaning against the side of the car.

Gavin was confused. He hadn't tampered with his sensibility settings, and yet he felt every movement against his lips in full detail, tons of data flowing into his processor. After all they had done, this seemed different, it bore something that Gavin didn't know how to even begin to describe.

He felt the skin of his hand peeling away – almost automatically- as it appeared to be happening more and more when the human was near him. He pressed that hand against Richard's hand, palm to palm, and the detective pressed back.

He knew then it would be impossible for him to just completely abandon the human. Not even for Kara, not even for the revolution. He had promised, and now HAD to come back.

They parted slightly, Gavin taking a step back to look at him. He could have continued, but he felt it would have been impossible for him to stop the more they kissed. He touched his own lips, intrigued, still processing the kiss. _Coffee, tobacco, blood_ … those were things he could efficiently analyze, but did not care about.

"… we should've done all this kissing thing this morning, or yesterday! – he exclaimed, turning to see Richard's tired face. – What? What's wrong?... I wasn't that bad, was I?"

"No… I was just thinking the same; we should've done this before." He pressed into his hand a little more. Gavin responded in the same way, intertwining their fingers.

  
A gunshot, much closer than the last ones, startled them. Gavin took a step back and looked at the detective a minute longer. He smiled at him and nodded.

"Keep your promise, Gavin."

"I will, detective…" he smiled one more time and ran off, climbing over a fence and disappearing behind a mass of buildings.

  
The intrusive thoughts returned, retained only momentarily, and he had to crouch to the floor, pressing both hands against his face. He felt something against his legs; it was the same tabby cat, grazing itself against Nines's side. 

He picked it up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of Victor's cult and project first came into mind while I was watching "Psycho-pass". Around the middle of the first season, some random villain talks about transhumanism, and I got fascinated by the idea.
> 
> 100 kudos! you guys are the best, thank you very very much.  
> I'm celebrating this with some well-deserved kiss between these two!


	14. GPS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After they parted ways, Gavin makes his way to Jericho... but we all know what that entails. Nines figures out something that changes everything.
> 
> This chapter includes: violence, guns, angst.

Date:  
 _ **NOV 9th** , 2038_   
Time:  
 _PM **07:40** :12_

"Well, that was another wonderful conversation with our mother," Connor said, hanging up his phone and walking to the kitchen. He no longer used his cane, his steps firm and even, and his confidence mostly restored. Richard suspected it had something to do with going back to work, or maybe that new presence by his side. Sumo, oblivious to his owner's worries, was jumping around his feet, wagging his short tail.

"On a scale of one to ten, how hysterical is she?" the younger brother asked, giving him a side glance as he continued mincing a bell pepper. He had done the same with other vegetables and some cheese, leaving them separated neatly in bowls over the kitchen counter. He gave the dog an unsympathetic glance, as he tried to climb on the kitchen counter to get whatever the younger Anderson was cooking.

"Hmm, 100, – Connor responded, sitting on the kitchen stoop, watching the other man cook– She kept saying ' _Josie escaped! She just left! Oh, Connor, you have to do something'._ "

"Who's Josie?"

"Mom's android."

"What?! did you know she had one? She never told me." Richard lifted his gaze from the cutting board, knitting his brows.

"Was a gift from Tom, - he replied, leaning over the counter to grab a piece of cheese, giving half of it to Sumo. - …God, I hate him."

"You always hate mom's boyfriends" Richard shook his head, slapping Connor's hand away from the ingredients and adding the minced vegetables to the egg mix. Connor just grumbled in reply.

"She wanted me to go to Birmingham to find her… I asked her if she knew what was happening; _'Of course I know, Connor! You and your brother should come here and stay away from that mayhem'_ " Connor imitated Kathleen Kent's voice, making Nines cringed.

"Does Mom know we are thirty-something police officers?"

"Mom still thinks we're ten and she forgot to pick us up from soccer practice, Richard.– The shorter male sighed, running his hands over his face with an exhausted expression –... you really don't' have any meat product at all?" he insisted, watching him pour the mix into a skillet.

"No, and I'm sure no convenience store is open, Con… I've got cat food if you like." Richard just looked at him over his shoulder and winked. 

A soft purring made Connor look at the top of the fridge. The tabby cat, perched over it with its paws tucked under its belly, kept its glance fixed on poor Sumo, moving its tail from side to side in malevolence.

"Can't believe after all this time… you decided to adopt a cat."

Richard turned to look at the cat who, in his opinion, was pleasantly sleeping in its new preferred place. 

"It was an impulsive decision…" he confided and then smiled. Connor hummed softly but did not ask any further.

Nines waited a few minutes for the mix to cook, folding the omelet over with precision and finally placing it on the plate, adding a few cherry tomatoes. He was a decent cook and could make good food out of scraps, but he seldom cooked for himself.

"When did you become a weak herbivore?" 

"It's been ten years already, – Richard reminded him, opening two can of soda. – Never liked meat, remember? I always gave you my bacon" They sat in front of each other, Connor eating with hunger despite his previous complaints. He had to admit it was some damn fine omelet.

"Right! Best thing of Sunday-mornings… if you ignore the part where we had to go to Church later," the older brother recalled. 

"Con, please… I don't want to hear about going to Church again in my life," Richard huffed, pecking his food with his mind elsewhere.

  
They had met in Richard's apartment, as Connor had suggested. The lieutenant knocked on his door an hour before their original schedule, finding that Richard had just arrived. Both brothers stared at each other with a mouthful of things to discuss and tell, not even knowing where to start; Richard tried to explain himself, but just managed to say a few incomprehensible phrases, still holding the door open for him.

The eldest entered the apartment, letting Sumo off his leash, and before his brother could complain, he hugged him tightly. And Richard hugged him back for a whole long minute, finding himself comforted at last. They both needed it.

  
"So, you punched an FBI agent in the face?" Richard asked, drinking from the can of soda with his eyebrows raised. Connor's right hand was all bandaged up, swollen, and bruised; he had almost broken a finger.

"So, you shot up a Church and dismantled a secret cult?" the lieutenant countered. And both laughed softly, continuing their frugal meal.

It was common for them to meet at least once a month to eat together. Both had very few friends, and a not a very stable support net; so, basically, they had each other and not very much else. Since Connor's accident and subsequent addiction, their meetings had been changed to once a week, mostly impose by Nines. His older brother had responded to that with annoyance, culminating in a full-on fistfight between them, but Connor had finally relented. He now looked forward to them.

"Hey, look…" Connor spoke up, fumbling around in his back pocket before producing a plastic circular object, the size of a coin, similar to a poker chip. Richard lifted a brow, still munching on his food, and took the item.

"You traded your coin for a poker chip?" the younger brother asked with a playful smile, turning the red plastic coin over before noticing it was not a casino chip. It had a big 2 engraved in white on one side and the Serenity Prayer on the other. 

"My two-months-sober coin," Connor smiled, both proud and a little embarrassed, rolling a tomato around on the plate.

"Con, this is great!" Richard did not contain his smile, gripping his forearm with a proud expression.

"Yeah; I may still drink, but I'm clean from narcotics... – He retrieved the coin from Nines's hand and played around with it, rolling it over his knuckles– … feels like years, though."

"Con, I'm proud of you," Richard muttered, squeezing Connor's forearm with what he hoped was enough force to express how happy and glad he was for him. The lieutenant just chuckled, patting his hand.

Of the two, Connor was the one more prone to personal contact than his younger brother. Richard never initiated contact, and felt quite uncomfortable with public displays of affection, often acting stiff and awkward. If it wasn't for Connor's constant hugging, Nines would have grown up to be an even weirder and off-putting.

"I have a lot to tell you, Nines" Connor spoke up, still staring at the chip on his hand.

"Me too... Things spiraled out of control in this last five days."

"Shit, only five days? It feels like an eternity ago! – Connor finished his food and took both plates, walking up to the sink to wash them along the rest of the utensils. – So, who's gonna start?"

"You, of course," replied Richard walking towards the windowsill. He stared at the spot with contradiction, moving away the books Gavin had piled up there to sit down.

"Hey! Why me?"

"Because you're the responsible older brother," he replied as said brother joined him, taking out a pack of smokes and dealing two.

"Sure thing... When it suits you, I'm the oldest," He complained, taking out a lighter from his pocket and lighting the cigarette. He was silent for a moment, Richard waited, both staring through the window.

  
His apartment was far away from downtown, near Harper Woods. However, they could still hear the sirens passing by and even a few gunshots echoing through the gloomy quiet night. 

Some of the neighbors had knocked on his door earlier that evening, trying to recruit him and Connor in their android-hunting expedition. They ran away in fear when Connor threatened them with a beating and Richard with arresting everyone for disturbing the peace; that was certainly not something they would've expected from the quiet resident of 1301.

"I'm quitting the force," Connor said, looking right at Richard. His face went pale, and the unlit cigarette fell from his lips. He felt as if a lead weight had been dropped onto his stomach, making him feel sick.

"It's not fucking funny, Con… don't say that shit," he mumbled, picking up his cigarette from the floor before Sumo could eat it.

"I'm not joking, – The lieutenant's face was serious – Either way, at least I'll be suspended for what I did today…– he stared at his injured hand and then took a long drag from the smoke before speaking again – Shit! I don't know anymore, Nines… How are we going to return to our lives after… this?!" he motioned towards the window, the city in chaos.

Richard kept quiet, staring through the glass.

"…We are cops, Connor."

"That's bullshit, Nines! You know what Hank said to me today? After Amanda took us off the case and handed it to the feds? … that he liked working with me, that we could've been friends" A tiny grin appeared on Connor's lips, and he shook his head, running his hands along his hair again - We are on the wrong side, Nines; I'm sure of that now. Call me crazy, stupid, traitor even! But fuck it… I can't go back and be asked to shoot them. I can't…" he finished, looking up at Nines with a tired smile.

"Connor, I-"

"Go on, get angry at me…"

"No! Shit… listen, I… –Richard sighed– I agree with you."

"... you do?"

"Yes! I've told you already, I've seen some things I wished I could unsee, but I also learned so much more; about androids, about myself, about what being a human is. If you had said this to me five days ago, I would've called you crazy…but now? I don't know. What if we are exterminating something just because we are afraid of them? the Inquisition, the Nazis, the KKK… we remembered them in infamy now. But what if we are acting just like them?" Richard explained, distressed. He had had the longest time to think while tied to that chair.

Connor smiled, genuinely and full of relief, patting Richard on the arm.

"Then, we're on the same side, kid brother." He used to hate the nickname, but he didn't care now.

"Yeah, maybe we are. Listen, I have to tell you something too," Nines said, forcing himself to talk before getting cold feet.

"After that?... Shoot"

"I… – He took a deep breath and counted to nine– Gavin is a deviant; he has been since I rejoined the RITF. I kept it hidden from Stern and CyberLife all this time so we could finish the case. But then, I just didn't want him to get deactivated! … so, I- I helped him escape this afternoon," he said, in one go, without looking at his brother. _Just like a band-aid, Richard._

Connor remained quiet for the longest time. Richard kept his head down, waiting. Now, after having said it all out loud, he concluded he did not regret his decisions. He was somehow proud.

"You did good, Nines." Connor's voice took him by surprise, how calm and comforting it felt.

"But I lied to you… and broke the law."

"Who gives two shits about the law!? You put your morals before your duty. We are not machines either, Richard; we have Critical thinking, the power to decide not to follow an order that might be wrong," Connor smile widen, and Richard reciprocated.

"Look at us, becoming deviants too…"

"I've been a deviant for longer than you –Connor pointed to his left leg and chuckled. Sumo, having ran towards them, tried to climb onto Connor's lap. He bent down and picked up the dog, patting him on the head– … I fear for Hank."

"Why is that?"

"Today, we went to Kamski's house… she's a real piece of work. Absolutely crazy, like Howard Hughes-crazy. Lives on the outsides of Detroit in a huge mansion, like a hermit."

"I've heard about it; frankly, I'm surprised that she received you."

"Yeah, me too. I think it had to do mostly with Hank, he's apparently part of a line that was important to her. She was... entranced by him- Connor stopped for a moment, like he was remembering the encounter on his mind- she got under my skin, to tell you the truth. Hank also looked uncomfortable around her."

"Did you get anything from her?"

"That's the thing...– He took a long breath and bit his lower lip, bouncing his feet on the floor– She spoke of a test, she called it the Kamski-test… to prove if an android was a deviant or not. She offered a gun to Hank and then placed one of her androids- Elijah, the one that looked exactly like Gavin- in front of him and then asked Hank to shoot him. She said if he did, she would tell us all about deviants."

Richard waited, expecting his brother to continue. He remembered his dream, how Hank played the role of the perfect machine, a metaphor for the part of his subconscious that couldn't accept deviant emotions as real. He feared his brother's answer.

"Hank did not shoot…" he stated, looking down at Sumo, who was lovingly licking his hand.

"What did Kamski do then? Was she really willing to let her android get shot?" Richard asked, confused.

"I don't know. As I said, Kamski is a strange woman… I can't figure out if she really cares about androids or only sees them as her toys. She was quite ambivalent in the way she referred to them, but certainly looked satisfied when Hank refused to shoot Elijah... She called him a Deviant."

"A deviant? Hank?"

"Yes, I think her exact words were that he preferred to spare the life of a machine than to accomplish his mission. He showed empathy, which is a very human emotion! – Connor smiled but then turned into a concerned frown – He was so confused by this, and when I pointed it out to him, he became even more troubled. He looked... lost."

"I can understand that,– he said, finally lighting his smoke– imagine living with the only objective of accomplishing your orders and, suddenly, you go against everything you stand for, your reason for existing. It can be devastating and frightening but also liberating."

"Nines, you're not an android…" Connor reminded him.

"I know ... but you have to admit that I act similarly," he chuckled.

"It runs in the family," added his brother, making him laugh a little louder.

Connor stood up from the windowsill as Nines made his way back to the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee. They had a bottle of whiskey on the table, but neither of them felt in the mood to open it; this was, for the most part, a good sign.

"Hey, this is something I hadn't seen in a while…– The lieutenant picked up the neatly folded sweatshirt from the sofa, inspecting it–… does this still fit you?"

"Oh! that... Isn't it yours?" he returned to the living room, offering him a steaming cup.

"No, mine had a cigarette burn on the sleeve… I can't believe you used to be this small! before you got all fitness and all."

"I was still bigger than you…- he rolled his eyes, shooting Sumo away as the tiny dog climbed on the couch - you make me sound like some CrossFit lunatic."

"Either way, why is it here? ...Were you gonna donate it?"

"No, I… I lent it to Gavin. All his clothes either ripped or ended up soaked in blue blood." Sumo had finally conquered the younger Anderson and lay happily on the man's lap. Richard had even agreed to pet him.

"Did he stay here?" Connor asked innocently. Richard's face did not reveal the sudden panic that enveloped him whole. He wasn't ready to tell _that_ to his brother.

"Yeah... he drove me here yesterday, and with all the androids-related crimes… it was safer for him to stay with me," he said, plain-faced and relaxed and, God! How much he appreciated being good at poker right now.

Connor seemed ready to ask him something else but, simultaneously, both of their phone started ringing. Sumo barked, annoyed; his peace had been broken.

\--------------------------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 9th,** 2038_   
Time:  
 _PM **06:03** :46_

Navigating Detroit during the riots was as hard as Gavin had expected. He tried his best to stay hidden, traveling through alleyways, rooftops, and sewers. The most complicated part had been crossing Woodward Avenue, police were patrolling every corner, backed up by hunting parties formed by civilians with a taste for violence, armed with melee weapons and high on adrenaline.

Gavin tried his best to assist every android he found, managing to help a male Traci and two AX400 into a sewer just in time to avoid a group of rioters ready to lynch them. He gave the key to Jericho to every android he could find, insisting it would be a safe place to rest.

It took him 2 hours to reach Jericho, a trip he could usually do in 20 minutes. But he was alive and mostly unharmed except for a bullet scrape on his right leg. He would've like to inform Nines he had reached his destination unscathed; he wondered if the human was worried about him too.

"Gavin!" Kara's voice called him, and he lifted his gaze to the central office. The leader was leaning over the railing, smiling to him; she descended the stairs quickly and met him in the middle of the bridge, hugging him softly.

"Kara… I'm so glad to see you!" Gavin smiled, taking a step back to look at her. She was unharmed, but her mismatched eyes appeared troubled.

"We sheltered the androids you sent from the church. Many of them were... very distressed." Luther appeared behind her, carrying a big crate with the cyberlife logo over his shoulder that he proceeded to place on the floor. His imposing figure still made Gavin nervous, too similar to Coffey's, but all that fear melted away as soon as Luther smiled. He was a gentle giant.

"I can understand that… that place was messed up," Gavin explained, touching his LED in a nervous gesture.

  
It took him a long while to calm down the androids while still keeping an eye on Richard, who was too roofied to walk, let alone help. He had finally given the key to Aaron, the KL model, who took leadership over the rest of the androids. They evacuated the church in a hurry, with few minutes to spare before Stern and the rest of the officers arrived.

  
"You're hurt, Gavin… let us tend your wound, then we can talk a little more," Kara smiled, motioning him to come with them.

Luther helped him repaired the injury, no important components damaged whatsoever, more of a scrape than anything else. They talked about the march, Luther detailing how the last moments had played out while Kara kept mostly silent, staring at the androids walking around the deck.  
Big screens attached to the walls were tuned to the news, reporting on the now official statement to recall all androids. An ominous atmosphere filled the freighter as the broadcast announced that the government had deemed them unpredictable and violent. But the public had a different opinion; the common man spoke about people, people wanting to be free. That filled them hope, they could get to them after all.

"This is the best I can do, Gavin," smiled Luther, finishing with the other android's leg. Luther's hands were so big that they could effortlessly envelop Gavin's entire leg.

"It's perfect. Thanks, Luther… "

"I have to go; a few more groups have arrived and need to be tended, – he said, turning to Kara. But she seemed lost in thoughts, not noticing Luther's words– ... Kara?"

"Yes? I'm sorry, Luther… my mind wandered," she explained, touching the man's forearm. Her little pale hands seemed so tiny against Luther's big arms.

"I'm going to welcome the new refugees… I'll be back soon," he repeated patiently, kissing Kara's forehead. Luther stood up and said goodbye to Gavin with a nod of his head. They were left alone.

"You seem troubled too, Kara," Gavin offered, smiling softly to the white-haired woman.

"I'm… lost, Gavin – the woman confided – I'm doubting the decisions I've made so far."

"Forming the revolution?"

"No, it was meant to happen ... I'm just wondering if I was the right person to lead it."

Kara got up and walked to the windows. From there, they could see how Jericho had evolved from a hiding spot to a base of operations equipped with technology, resources, and supplies, and with the manpower to use them properly. They were no longer hiding, but fighting.

"The decisions I make have consequences. Today I decided to hold our grounds, and because of that, dozens were killed, even Adam sacrificed himself for me and – she stopped, clasping a hand over her mouth, stifling a sob – …I wonder if it was the right decision, Gavin. Everyone trusts my judgment, but I'm nothing special ... I'm just an android, like any other."

Gavin waited a moment before talking, thinking about Kara's words and his discussion with Myriam earlier that day.

"It may sound strange to you, but I had a similar discussion with another android today; She was one of the cultists I told you about, absolutely loyal to Dowland. She insisted that we, following your orders, were no different from any other cult; that we were ready to die for you in the same way she eventually died for him, taking her own life because she found herself lost without him."

Kara turned towards him, listening intently. Gavin scratched his chin and sighed; some human gestures had become part of him already.

"I told her then, and now I am even more certain about it: you're our leader, that is true. But we don't follow you just as a figure... we recognize the principles in your speech. This isn't a cult built around a person, but a collective joined by similar beliefs. If you die, Kara... the revolution will not die with you, another one of us will take your place and continue. The revolution is a thing by itself, _unstoppable_."

"Gavin…"

"I'm not trying to say you're disposable! Of course not! Jericho respects you because of your capacity to make decisions on behalf of everyone's sake, for the greater good, even at the cost of your own life. That is why I admire you – he smiled, shily– I think it's normal to have doubts. Shit, I would suspect if you didn't have them!… but you're not alone in this, Kara. We are all part of this… ask, and we will support you."

The woman snickered warmly and looked at Gavin with profound gratitude, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She grabbed the android's arms and squeezed them gently.

"Thank you, Gavin… you're a good ally, a friend."

"I just want to help, Kara… please, there must be something I can do," He urged. He was tired of waiting; patience was not something that came naturally to him.

"There are a lot of androids still trying to make their way here, trapped in the streets. Do you think you could guide? It is dangerous; you'd have to return to the streets."

"I'm fine with that… I can pass as a human, and police thermal scanners cannot detect me. I can handle," he assured, conviction in his words.

"Thank you, Gavin... please stay in touch with me; this is a dangerous night,” Kara said a bit grimly, staring to the bay with worried eyes. Some specks of light could be distinguished in the thick mass of building that was Ferndale.

“Do you have any information on the HK800? The android I mentioned…"

"The deviant hunter. Yes, but the information given to us by androids that had arrived here is… confusing," she mentioned, brows furrowed.

"Confusing? How come?"

"Two tracis that arrived earlier this morning said they were chased by Hank and, having the opportunity to shoot them… he relented and let them go."

Gavin's smile widen, taking a step towards her.

"That's what I told you before! Hank may be a grumpy old android, but I'm sure something is changing inside him… he's deviating. I'm sure!"

"I hope you're right, Gavin. I don't want to fight one of my own; if I ever encounter him, that is," Kara finished, stepping to the exit and walking up the stair to the captain's cabin.

Gavin returned to the decks, crossing a few words with some of the androids he had met the other day and catching up with what had occurred in the last 16 hours. Jericho was buzzing with activity, everyone appeared to have a job to do, and so did he, but first he needed to find someone.

He finally encountered the cultist androids after a few minutes looking and asking around. They were five of them, clustered between some crates surrounding the KL model. They stared at him a soon as he approached them, some in disbelief, others with gratefulness, and a few with hatred. Aaron said something to them and stood up to meet Gavin, a tiny smile on his dark face.

"Aaron, I'm glad you could get here safely," Gavin said, awkwardly. The picture of Myriam's dead body still lingered in his memory.

"Yes, it was difficult... Not everyone wanted to come, some decided to stay behind, – he explained with a heavy sigh; Gavin nodded, his eyes running along the few survivors– Gavin, I would like to thank you."

"Thank me? What for?... as I see it, we destroyed your perfect life back at the church," he said in disbelief.

"You and your partner showed us what was truly going on behind closed doors. We were blind to Victor's spell; we wanted to believe in his words despite the evidence against it… I'm afraid a few of us still want to," Aaron revealed, staring over his shoulder towards his companions.

"Myriam took her own life; I'm not sure if you knew about it," Gavin mentioned.

"You feel guilty about it," the KL model said, staring at him with understanding eyes.

"I… put a lot of stress into her. It may have triggered her reaction," he admitted.

"Myriam loved Victor beyond reasoning. She believed he was going to make her human, put her in a real body. She couldn't fathom a world without him… nor a world where his words were lies," he explained. 

It was said that the KL line had so much knowledge on human behavior and society that they could, though subjected to probability, almost predict the future. Gavin imagined that it was not much of a surprise for Aaron that Myriam had killed herself.

“She thought Dowland would make her human?” he asked. The rabbit hole just kept getting deeper.

“Yes; although Victor never said it, she was hoping the process could also be applied in reverse, - Aaron explained – Myriam was a very outdated model, from the mid 20’; she was slowly shutting down, and she knew it.”

“They had a lot in common then…” Gavin suggested, and the other android nodded softly. Somehow, he understood Myriam a little better now.

  
They parted ways; Gavin hoped Aaron was strong enough to keep the small group together. Kara was right; the next hours would be difficult for everyone, especially for a group that just recently lost their leader and had landed in the middle of this chaos, after being pretty much sheltered from the outside world inside that church.

He continued his stroll, plaining his next movements, reaching the upper deck, and staring at the cold winter waters. A few androids kept watch over the surrounding territory, welcoming the refugees that appeared from time to time, from every direction.

He was worried. Hank whereabouts were unknown, Connor had told Richard that the last time he'd seen him was at the evidence room, consumed by the idea of breaking the case.

What if he had? What if he had not? 

If the FBI had not caught him yet, he might still be on the loose; maybe he was already a deviant and needed help! Though he didn’t really like the grumpy white-haired android, he felt a certain camaraderie toward him. After all, they were police androids, and they both had to deal with one of the Anderson brothers.

He had to know. 

He logged into the police records through Richard's user, glad to see he used the same password as in the evidence room. He had no time to waste, trying to access the deviant's case files to see how much Hank and Connor knew about them. But the records had been seized, the case now in the FBI's hands.

But he could access Hank’s records; there was something weird about the communication log between him and the FBI. If he had gone missing around 4 pm, why was there a new entry about 20 minutes ago?

" _Phuck!_ " Gavin shouted out loud and ran back below decks, finding the chaos had already ensued.

  
Androids ran desperately, trying to escape through the narrow hallways of the vessel. The troops had entered from the left flank and the roof, firing at will at everything and everyone they found along their way. Gavin, who was running against the flow of people trying to reach the central deck, saw AX400 get shot right in front of him, her head exploding in a mess of wires and thirium. He had no time to think; he ran in the opposite direction.

At every corner he turned, more soldiers appeared, shooting at them without a hint of mercy, even against androids that surrendered. Other android joined him, running beside him but was struck and fell to the ground; he tried helping him on his feet, but the swarm of bullet never ceased.

He got hit on the left arm, scraping his torso in the process. His HUD informed him of the damage but could not take the time to evaluate any further. There was no other way; instead of running, he turned around and decided to fight.   
His fist first connected under the soldier's chin, stunning him; he twisted the assault rifle from his right arm before kicking him on the chest, throwing him against the nearest wall.

He pointed the rifle, finger on the trigger ready to shoot.

"Fucking humans…– he mumbled, before hitting the man with the butt of the rifle, knocking him out effectively – let's go, come on," he insisted, helping the android up and continuing to run.

He left him in the care of some other Jericho citizens and, taking firm hold of the rifle, continued his way through the underbelly of the freighter.

"Gavin, here!" a voice called, and he turned to find Tina, Dr. Cavanaugh's assistant, to whom he had given the key to Jericho that same morning. The android held a hatch open, motioning him to follow.

"Tina! What the fuck is going on?... have you seen Kara?" he asked, closing the hatch behind him as a group of soldiers opened fire against them, the bullets bouncing on the heavy metal door.

"I ran into Luther a while back… he said they were raiding the whole ship!" Tina explained, holding the door shut by pressing her whole body onto it. Gavin helped her, noticing a new bullet wound on his side. She was injured too, her white blouse stained with blue from a bullet wound on her chest.

"We have to do something, or they're gonna kill us all," he mumbled through gritted teeth, breaking the locking mechanism by twisting the lock. That would give them a few minutes.

"Kara said she's going to sink the ship," Tina revealed, ripping her skirt and wrapping the cloth around his arm, reducing the amount of thirium he was losing.

"No idea; another android was with her… I'd never seen a model like him," She explained, adjusting the makeshift bandage on Gavin’s arm.

"Holy shit, Tina… holy fucking shit, - He exclaimed, sliding down the wall onto the floor, holding his face as the riffle escape from his hands- I'm so fucking sorry. I brought you here thinking you'd be safe and… Hell! This is a fucking nightmare."

"Come on, Gavin… We have no time to lose. You can apologize later, - She insisted, graving his arm and forcing him to stand up, pressing the rifle to his chest – You have this; Make it up to me by getting us out of here" she smiled warmly, and Gavin nodded.

  
They resume their escape, but it wasn't long before they ran into trouble once again. Gavin was forced to shoot one of the men on the leg, barely able to escape as more bullets rained over them. They ducked under a gate, finding themselves in the cargo hold.   
With careful steps, Gavin upfront with Tina covering his back, they checked the cargo area. They were, apparently, alone.

“We can get on deck trough there,” Gavin mentioned, pointing towards a big hatch on the roof, formerly used for loading the ship.

Upon activating the automatic hatch, the previously silent cargo hold filled with the sound of mechanical engines and scraping metal, as the heavy doors opened up slowly. Unfortunately, that would catch everyone's attention inside the ship.

“We better get moving…” Tina shouted over the sound of the motors.

He helped Tina climb over one of the big cargo boxes, right under the hatch, following her close behind. He had to boost her up with his hands over the doors, too far up for any of them to reach on their own.

She peeked right back over the edge of the hatch, laying on her stomach.

"Come on! Get over here!" Tina yelled, offering her hand to him to climb. The door to the cargo hold opened with a loud sound, and five armed men entered the bodega shouting orders. Gavin frantically stared back at the other android.

"Tina, go on deck and ran… I'll hold them back!!" he shouted, gripping the gun tightly in his hands. 

Tina shouted something back, but was quenched by a loud ruckus that echoed through the metal structure, making the floor tremble and throwing them out of balance. Gavin fell down from the crates, landing on his side. He tried to stand up, but a louder, more deafening sound erupted from down below the hull.

The whole ship turned sideways, tilting to starboard as water began to flow inside the compartment. Gavin managed to maintain his footing, holding on to a beam with one hand as water rushed in and pushed him away. He pulled himself onto the metal structure, climbing onto it to reach for the hatch.

"Tina! Tina! Are you ok?" he shouted, calling up to the other android.

"I'm ok! But the hatched is blocked! ...I-I can't open it!" Tina's voice was muffled by the sound of water and the thick metal walls. Gavin cursed under his breath, watching as the water reach his knees.

"It's ok! Just… go! I'll find another way up!" he shouted before diving into the dark waters.

He had to crawl his way between two beams, trying to reach the door to the stairs. He was already underwater, his movement slower, but he had never been happier to be an android. At least breathing was unnecessary, or he'd be dead by now.

He was about to reach the stairs when a second detonation hit him, coming directly underneath his feet. The impact was brutal, sending him to the other side of the compartment, a metal beam trapping him in place. He fought against it, trying to move it, but to no avail.

Just like a captain, he sank with the vessel to the bottom of the river.

\---------------------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 9th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
 _PM **11:43:** 46_

Jericho was no more, just a smoldering metal shell at the bottom of the ocean. Photo after photo, report after report, all said the same thing. Jericho, a place for androids to be free, went up in flames and sank into the dark waters of Detroit river. 

The location of their hideout came from HK800, the deviant-hunter, and it had been precise. Even their leader Kara was there. As the troops raided the building, shooting at will at anything that moved, androids scurried away like rats, running for their lives. 

But what no one expected was the androids' last resort, to take down the freighter by exploding the hold, effectively sinking her. Not even the FBI anticipated that, finding themselves forced to evacuate, calling all units back before the water drown them all.

  
Both brothers watched the news in utter silence. It showed footage taken from a helicopter of the sinking vessel as it plummeted into the now murky waters; in voiceover, a journalist related the details of the disastrous raid and subsequent explosions.

The newscast cut to another camera, filming an enraged FBI agent pacing the docks, illuminating the riverbank with a potent spotlight and shouting at his men.  
They recognized him immediately.

Connor still held the phone to his ear, listening to Amanda's intel on what had actually happened. Richard was in the balcony, trying to distinguish any fire or smoke from there, but Ferndale was too far away to see anything. He returned to the living room, dragging his legs. Connor desperately tapped into his phone. Sumo was hidden under the living room table, whining softly.

"Fucking piece of shit!" he yelled, throwing the device away.

"What are you doing?" Richard mumbled, falling into the couch, running a hand through his hair. He felt a headache coming, both from being roofied earlier and from stress building up inside him. 

"I'm trying to locate Hank… but he isn't answering, and I can't track him!"

"Con, calm down… that's good," Richard tried to appease, tugging him down to sit on the sofa.

"How?!" the shorter male said, turning towards him with a concerned face.

"Deviants can't be located. You said Kamski called Hank a deviant; Maybe he is one! … and that's why his tracker isn't working."

"You heard Amanda, – Connor mumbled, not entirely convinced by Richard's optimistic theory- … Hank was the one who guided them there. If he is a deviant, he wouldn't have done that," he said, rummaging through his pockets for something he seemingly couldn't find.

"But if he is a machine, you could have tracked his position," Richard retorted. Connor nodded and relaxed a little, biting down on his lip.

"You know anything from Gavin?"

"No, can't trace him if he's a deviant. - Truly, he hadn't even tried- according to Hank's tracker, what was his last position?"

"Ferndale, exactly where this Jericho ship was…"

Both knew there was a third option, but they were deliberately trying to ignore it.

  
Richard sat next to his brother, the television now off. Common sense, statistics, and his detective intuition told him Gavin had been destroyed in the raid - if he had even got to Jericho in the first place, that is. Sure, he was smart and had fighting skills, but was also reckless and quick-tempered, a deadly combination.

The idea that Gavin was dead slowly settled in his head, making him feel ... empty. Once again, a strange silence filled his ever-active mind. A bubble that grew slowly until nothing else could occupy his thoughts.

_Gavin was dead._

"Con, would you stay here for the night?" Richard asked, his voice soft and calm, emotionless. 

"Stay? Well, Sumo is already here, and driving back home seems difficult. Yeah, I'll stay – Connor turned to look at his brother. His detached face scared him – … Nines, are you ok?"

"I'm fine… I agree with you; It's reckless to go outside now. You can have my bed."

"I don't mind sleeping on the couch, most of the time I usually sleep where I fall," he said, keeping a worried stare over his brother's face.

"No. You sleep on the bed. I'm taking a shower… excuse me," Richard mumbled, walking to his room in a daze-like state.

He stood under the shower, without moving, for 20 minutes, not thinking of anything, just staring at the water drainage. He decided to ignore his logic, to ignore reason and just believe the android was ok.

_Gavin was alive…_

_…Because he had made a promise._

When he stepped out of the shower, dress for bed, he found Connor already sleeping on his bed. Sumo was over his chest, protectively. Richard relented, leaving the dog sleep there as he made the way back to the living room.  
He opened his laptop, pouring himself a cup of coffee while the machine booted up. If he wasn't going to sleep, at least he could get some work done. The cat finally came down from the fridge and pressed itself against Nines' legs, purring.

"Hey, are you hungry? – he asked with embarrassment. He'd never had a pet before– ...I should name you, shouldn't I?" he asked, opening a can of cat food and putting it down for the animal to eat.

After eating, the cat jumped over the sofa, sitting next to Richard as he worked on his laptop. He petted it absentmindedly, somehow comforted by its presence. Something caught his attention as soon as he logged in the police database.

_Last login: 11/09/2038. 20:34:00_

That was odd; He was here at that hour, and no one had his password. Connor might know it but had no reason to use it.

"Gavin…" he smiled. He had made it to Jericho.

\-------------------------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 10th,** 2038_   
Time:  
 _AM **11:15** :10_

"Thank you for driving. My glasses broke yesterday, and I cannot find my spare pair," Richard said with annoyance in his voice as they drive to the precinct.

"Don't worry. You hardly slept at all, better not be driving," Connor scolded, making a sharp turn to avoid a burning tire. The streets were littered with burning barricades and android's bodies. Both brothers looked out of the windows from time to time, hoping all the blank faces staring at them were unfamiliar.

"Are you really going to continue with this case?" Connor asked, flashing his badge at yet another checkpoint. They let them pass with distrustful looks, as Sumo barked untiringly through the window.

"I'm almost finished with the reports… after I delivered them, I'm going back to the 8th."

"Why don’t you email them?"

"Truthfully? I don't want to go back to my old precinct, I'm comfortable here. Maybe if I talk with Amanda, she'll recant her decision? – He sighed, fidgeting with his fingers– I don't know; I just don't want to stay home... there's too much noise inside my head," Richard admitted, reaching the station from the back entrance. The front was full of journalists and cameras, trying to get any scoop on whatever was going on.

"I understand, do what you have to do, but I'll drop you here though; If Amanda sees me, she'll certainly shoot me – Connor grinned tiredly – if you happen to hear anything about Hank…"

"I'll let you know, I promise, – Richard smiled to his brother, slipping out of the car – please, take care of yourself… don't go around pissing people off."

"Can't promise that," Connor winked and drive off.

Nines entered the almost deserted station, now populated only by humans. The few police officers who were not patrolling the streets ran around the bullpen, speaking loudly, escorting prisoners, distributing assignments, and rations. Everyone was working 24/7 shifts.

He stopped at his desk, taking a seat and running his hands over his face. Maybe he should put on a uniform and go patrolling with everyone else, but Connor's words resonated in his head. 

_< <I can't go back and be asked to shoot them>>_

"Detective Kent," a familiar voice called, making Richard snapped out from his thoughts. 

It took him a while to recognize his face. Tired face, not wearing glasses, and his usually well-kempt hair sticking in four different places. Elijah, usually standing only a few feet away from his master, was nowhere to be seen.

"Mr. Graff, what can I do for you?" the detective greeted politely despite his discontent. Jason Graff was not the person he would like to encounter today. Nor any day, in fact.

"I'm here to collect Gavin," he explained bluntly, not taking the seat.

"Oh...– Richard had completely forgotten about it– I apologize, I should have informed you earlier; GV200 was lost yesterday during an operation," he stated detached and professional.

"Lost?" Jason repeated.

"Yes, I'm sorry. As this is still an open investigation, I cannot tell you the details, but the official statement is that unit 27 disappeared during yesterday's operation. We will take care of all the costs associated with this inconvenience; I'll take full responsibility, both legally and monetary."  
  
"You don't get it, do you?" Jason said, his voice barely a murmur.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You let him go, didn't you? Then you must be more stupid than I thought, – Jason said, approaching Richard menacingly – Did the revolution got you all teary-eyed? Do you think you were doing him a favor? Thinking that Gavin wanted to be free?"

"Mr. Graff… I'll ask you to step away and leave," Richard warned, incapable of containing the spite in his words.

"You simple-minded fool! I tried to tell you, but you were so obsessed with the nature of androids' feeling that you did not listen!... And now you got him dead!"

"What the fuck are you talking about!?"

"You sent him to his death!" 

Richard was thankful the bullpen was mostly empty, as he did not want anyone else to listen to their conversation. He picked the man up by the collar of his flannel shirt and forcefully shoved him into an interrogation room, closing the door behind them.

"Ok, Graff…What are you talking about? " he repeated.

"Don't play dumb, detective!... All this time you thought Gavin was a deviant, right? No need to deny it now!" accused the man with no-glasses, readjusting his clothing back in place. Richard huffed and clenched his fists, growling.

"What if he was? It doesn't matter now… he disappeared. If you are so worried about him, go look for him on the recall centers!"

"Enough of this nonsense! – Graff barked back. He looked tired, worried, and he appeared to not have slept much. It was to be expected from the CEO of a sinking company– I said to you before; Gavin is programmed to fake emotions, to act human… so human indeed that even you thought he was a deviant."

Richard growled, fed up with the conversation. He did not understand what Graff was trying to say.

"Fine, yes! Gavin is a Deviant… and he left on his own accord, that what you wanted to hear?" Richard relented. Jason shook his head and sat down in front of him, holding his head in his hands.

"Detective Kent, you know what deviancy is?" The engineer said, keeping a hand on his chin, tapping a finger over his lips.

"It is behavior not included or against the androids' original programming," he recalled, knowing the definition by heart already.

"What if I tell you that everything that Gavin has done till now is all part of his programming? that he has never acted against his code..."

A tense silence filled the interrogation room, thick and visible, like a condensed mist. Richard let out a nervous chuckled, shaking his head.

"That's not true!... he exhibits human emotions: compassion, sadness, joy," Richard listed, recalling each time the android had laughed, got angry, and even cried.

"Fake, codded, pre-constructed responses to his environment. Didn't I tell you? I made him perfectly capable of mimicking human emotions," Graff smiled an unhappy smile. Richard shook his head again.

"No. Gavin disobeys orders; he does things without being commanded, on his own accord," He insisted, feeling as if the floor was shifting below him.

"You thought I would create something that would listen to some cop's instructions? – He chuckled contemptuously – No, I made him capable of making his own decisions based on the success ratio. It's a part of him to disobeyed moronic commands… the only real leash he had, the thing I specifically coded into him after you destroyed all previous units, was a very simple axiom: _don't get destroyed._ "

Richard took a step back and collided with the wall behind him, supporting himself on it. It made sense, then why was he so upset about it? Upset with this man for defying Gavin's will and emotions. It felt wrong.

"He… he put himself at risk to save my life. Took a bullet for me."

"Ah, yes… the hospital incident– Graff reached into his bag and pulled out his tablet. He scrolled through it with diligence as Nines shuffled unsteadily towards him. He read aloud– Here it is: _Nines's survival probability: 48%. Chances of severe damage: 23%._ Now, you do the math, detective. If the chances of getting destroyed surpasses 65%, Gavin will not risk it. And as I can see from these records… he has never- NEVER- gone against that order."

"but he…"

"Oh, you want to keep on trying? Sure, I'll play. Anything else you want to tell me to show me how wrong I am?"

"He… he tampered with his sensibility. CyberLife forbids that."

"Yes, we do; But I granted him permission without him noticing. I was curious, why would Gavin want to feel? Few androids tolerate it, as it is overwhelming for their CPU. but I yielded, and I saw how much he felt! ...or should I say, how much _you_ made him feel, detective."

Richard slammed his hand over the table, showing his teeth and clenching his fist in anger. Never in his life had he wanted to kill someone that much. 

"You…"

"Oh, yes! I know your dirty little secret, Detective Kent. But don't fret, I don't intend to use it against you…not now since Gavin is no longer with you."

"Stop stalking him! That's sick! He's not your pet nor your toy! "Richard yelled, unbothered by the insinuation made by Graff.

"Oh, you have some nerve to say that to my face! – Graff exclaimed, not fearing Richard's anger – You ruined him! Made him believe he was… What? A deviant? A rebel? Don't make me laugh; all you did was send him to his death."

Richard was about to lose it. 

What angered him most was the fact that the man kept track of every thought Gavin had, every action he committed, deciding whether or not he would allow it. It was perverse, an omnipresent master keeping him restrained by an invisible leash.   
He couldn’t contain his fury anymore, throwing a punch directly to the man's chin. Graff fell back of the chair, hitting the floor with a cry of pain.

"He's a deviant! He is free! You're no longer pulling his strings," Richard insisted, grabbing the obnoxious bastard by the collar once again to lift him from the ground; some part of him wanted to keep hitting him.

"You want to bet? Let's do it, detective – He smiled, licking the trail of blood that ran from his lower lip. – You know deviants can't be traced. So, let's see what happens if we try finding Gavin's location… will he appeared on the map?"

He let go of the shorter man, turning towards the tablet forgotten over the table. He took it in his hands, ignoring the long and detailed log of Gavin's actions. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Come on, detective! Just hit _'position'_ , and we will find out. If Gavin is not on the map, I promise I will cease my stalking, as you call it" A confident smile curved Jason's lips, causing the wound to reopen and the bleeding to restart.

Richard swallowed hard and tapped the screen. The image zoomed out and moved, before zooming in again, a red circle marking a position over Ferndale, where Jericho used to stand.

_GV200; 722 107 202 – 27. Last position at 21:45.11/09/2038. OFFLINE._

"I told you... Not a deviant, not alive, and now he is on the bottom of the river," Jason mumbled, no happiness on his voice despite having won the argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLOT TWIST!  
> Did you see that coming? I really wanna know!
> 
> On a different subject: if this was the game, if your relationship with Connor in this chapter is "hostile", Connor will quit the force. When Hank goes to see him, he will have relapsed and eventually die from an overdose.


	15. Deviancy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his conversation with Graff, Richard struggles to come to terms with some life-changing information. Is Gavin alive? ..what should he do now?
> 
> This chapter contains: existential crisis

Date:  
_**NOV 10th,** 2038_   
Time:  
_PM **05:40** :12_

  
**_Stasis concluded_ **  
**_System diagnosis in process:_ **  
_Scan completed…... 3 critical errors, 3 errors_  
_Error corrected: 0/6…_  
_\- Software instability detected_  
_\- Biocomponents not responding: RL8932_  
_\- Biocomponents corrupted: LL8932, H005j_  
_\- Connection OFFLINE_  
_\- Thirium levels at 10%_  
_Warning: Thirium levels dangerously low_

_Imminent shutdown in: 2:59:58_

_Please contact CyberLife for further evaluation._

Nothing had really changed in the last 20 hours; he was still where he was when he first entered stasis, with the same metal beam across his chest, pinning him down on the muddy riverbed. The murky water made vision difficult, plus the lack of sunlight at that depth and altogether emptiness of the river, made waiting boring.

He spotted a fish, the first living creature he had seen in the past few hours. A _Coregonus clupeaformis_ , AKA Whitefish, approached him with curiosity, nibbling at his exposed toes before Gavin shooed it away.   
Eaten by fish... it certainly wasn't the way he expected to go; neither was dying at the bottom of the Detroit river, slowly waiting for his thirium to thoroughly drain into the water, killing him. Well, swimming was one of the things on his bucket list, but this wasn't the way he had envisioned it. He wanted to go to California, maybe even Hawaii.

The fish came back and resumed nibbling at his toe. He just let it, resting his head on the muddy riverbed.

It was not like he had not tried. First, he attempted to move the metal beam away, pushing with all his force to lift it high enough to swim away; but promptly discovered his right leg was gone, blown apart in the last blast inside Jericho. He was unable to gain enough grounding to use his full strength, so lifting the beam was quickly ruled out as an option.   
He was stuck there.

Funny thing was -in this day and age- there were still places with no internet connection, and the bottom of the Detroit River was one of those places.   
Sure, not many fishes needed to update their social media, so Gavin wasn't too surprised when he found he couldn't connect with anyone for help. Though he knew better, no rescue team would come for him. They already had too many losses to risk sending someone to save him from all people.

So he decided to go into stasis, in a last-ditch effort to save the little thirium still running through his components. Similarly to how the human body would favor major organs -like the brain and heart-, Gavin's system redirected his thirium to his CPU and pump, keeping him conscious. Conversely, he could no longer move either his arms or leg.

  
At least he had helped. Or so he thought… he wondered if Aaron and the church survivors were still together, if Tina had managed to flee the ship, if Kara and Luther were alright. What had happened with the revolution? He hoped enough androids had been able to escape and regroup.  
He wished that somehow Kara and the others could manage to put together a counter-response to what had happened, that they could somehow show the world that the attack on Jericho had been vicious and ruthless. Kara had the ability to reach the public without using violence, but even he was beginning to hate humans.

_Humans? No, not humans. Only a few of them…_

He let his mind wander to Nines for a moment. _Are you ok, meat sack? Do your wounds still hurt?... Eat some real food._

They made a good team; he was sure about it. He was convinced -in an alternate universe- he would've made a good detective, and would've chosen Nines as his partner. Maybe even gather up enough courage to ask him to go to the movies with him or some stupid shit like that. Buy him popcorn… _do humans still do that?_ He hoped so.

But no, he was at the bottom of the river, waiting for his thirium to run out and his CPU to shut down for good. He felt sorry for the fishes; thirium was probably not good for the environment.

The last thing he expected, from all the strange things he had encountered in his short time activated, was to find Hank swimming towards him in long strokes, scaring a school of fishes away. He had not anticipated this, not in a million calculations.

 _"How much damaged have you received?"_ Hank said, stopping near him, inspecting the state he was in. Apparently, the shortwave communication still worked even underwater.

 _"What are you doing here? Fucking traitor,"_ Gavin barked. He knew what Hank had done; he knew the raid was only possible because of the information the older-looking android had given to the FBI.

_"Please, Gavin... I understand if you don't trust me, but let me get you out."_

_"I don't want your fucking help,"_ he replied bluntly. He was being childish, stupid even, but nothing could change the fact that he had betrayed them. He had vouched for him!

_"Kara sent me. Please, let me help you and get you to safety."_

_"Go away, I ain't gonna believe a shit you say!"_

Really? He expected him to believe he was a deviant NOW? Right after this shitshow? Gavin was not stupid; this could easily be a trap. He preferred to self-destroy than to be captured.

 _“I'm not lying, I'm on your side now ...Come on, I'll get you out of there,”_ He insisted, grabbing Gavin by the arm.

_“Fuck off, you fucking Judas!”_

Hank stopped and looked at him severely. The idea of designing him to look older indeed had a motive; it made him looked solemn, mature, and wise. Gavin felt scolded by just staring at the android's upset face. HK800 swam towards his left, stepping into the muddy riverbed as he took hold of the metal beam, lifting it up without much effort.

Reed needed a moment to redirect his thirium towards his extremities, swimming away from the spot with a few erratic kicks. Hank let go of the beam, crushing back into its former place, kicking up a lot of dirt around them.

"Can you swim back to the surface?"

_"I…I don't think so. I've got an hour more of thirium at the most."_

_"Ok, I'll take you then._ – Without expecting an answer, Hank took hold of both of Gavin's arms, throwing him over his back as he swam upwards to the surface – _you are rather light, Reed."_

 _"Shut the fuck up…"_ he replied, his head lolling over Hank’s broad back.

\------------

  
Date:  
_**NOV 10th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **03:20:** 29_

He stopped typing, letting his finger rest over the terminal, still trailing the letters. He sighed, taking a moment to stroke his tired eyes. His head ached, probably due to the lack of contact lenses or glasses… or maybe because he hadn’t slept more than 2 hours the night before. He decided to take a break, stepping away from his desk and walking silently towards the empty break room. He poured himself a cup of coffee and drank it without much care about it being cold.

His mind was stuck to Jason's words. As the hours went by, easier it was to accept the certainty of the situation; Gavin had never deviated, yet both of them were convinced otherwise. It wasn't so strange that the android was not aware of that. When everyone around you seems to be sure of what and who you are, it leaves you little room to question yourself. Nine knew it far too well.

But to accept that Gavin was dead, he wasn’t going to. It was irrational, but hope was unreasonable on itself. Now he understood why families refused to accept their missing loved one was dead, patiently waiting for them to return, never losing faith. He had often criticized that, scoffed at the naivety of such absurd illusion.

How things had changed! ... How much he had changed.

  
He took his wallet from his back pocket and pressed his multiCash card over the vending machine’s scanner, selecting a granola bar. He nibbled at it, out of pure discipline.

Even now, Graff's true intentions were not entirely clear. He told Nines his purpose was securing Gavin to safety, away from CyberLife and the army's hands. Richard wondered if Elijah was in this so-called safe place or had already been deactivated. Graff's tired and broken demeanor made him hold back his questioning.

And then, as the engineer left the station, he turned to say something to Richard but ultimately didn't. He left the precinct in a private car.

"He could've pressed charges against me," he thought aloud, stirring the cold content of his mug. In the end, perhaps the two of them had entered into a truce. A grieving one, though.

  
"Richard? I thought you were suspended," a soft tender voice tore him off his thoughts.

"Ah, good afternoon Lucy, – he greeted the coroner. It was quite uncommon to see her in the bullpen; she usually stayed down in the morgue. _The Queen of the Dead,_ North called her – Technically, I am, but I wanted to finish the report on the church's raid as soon as possible."

"Ah, yes. Quite the specimen you sent me! – Lucy was a tall, dark-skinned woman with a friendly face and maternal demeanor. She always sported some type of colorful scarf or scrub cap on her head, keeping her long-braided hair tucked neatly inside it. It was difficult to imagine someone like her deciding to spend her life surrounded by dead people. – …Was he some kind of cult leader?"

"Yeah, something like that…– he muttered tiredly, leaning on the counter as to finish his granola bar – you happen to have some pre-report on him?"

Lucy drank a sip of her iced tea and took the tablet from her pocket, opening up a document.

"I can give you some intel on him, but the full report will take me a little longer; I have a lot more bodies lately. – she sighed softly – You want to go down to the morgue or…?"

"Here… please, I-" the idea of facing Victor, now dead, made his stomach twist. Lucy seemed not to take notice of her colleague discomfort. He sat at the tiny table, pushing a chair out for her.

"The primary cause of death was exsanguination, both from the puncture wound in his abdomen and from the knee. The murder weapon appears to be the screwdriver found at the scene; it matches the wound perfectly, and was covered in the victim's blood. It punctured the liver and hepatic artery in an upward motion, entering just below the last right rib. Even with medical attention, his chances of survival were slim to none," she detailed, taking a seat on the table and unwrapping a sandwich while she read her notes out loud.

Richard couldn't help but turn up his nose in disgust, but the ME again didn't seem to notice, eating her lunch absentmindedly. She swallowed before continuing.

"His knee had been completely torn apart; the prosthesis ripped from its socket. This caused severe bleeding that considerably contributed to his death. – She shook her head, taking a sip of tea – The amount of force the perpetrator used to do this had to be immense. He ripped through the plasticmetal alloy and destroyed the thirium barrier. This man suffered a great deal of pain; thirium poisoning is terribly painful."

"Was he… conscious?" Richard asked softly. 

"There's no way of knowing... but he most likely entered hypovolemic shock in just a few minutes," she offered as consolation, and the man nodded, keeping his eyes away from the autopsy photos. He hated to admit it but felt sorry for Victor; maybe he had developed Stockholm syndrome after all. He buried that thought away.

"Richard, maybe it is not quite the moment, with everything that has been going on lately, but you should seek counseling after this. You have been subjected to major stress in this last week; kidnapped twice, tortured...– She reminded him, her long delicate fingers enveloping Richard’s wrist and pressing slightly over his pulse– … I am sorry; I know it is not my place to say, but please take care of yourself," Lucy suggested, always caring and gentle.

"Thank you, Lucy. I- I will," he stuttered, patting her hand, feeling a bit uncomfortable by the almost clinical gesture of checking his pulse. He stood up slowly, smiling at the doctor. – I will deal with it; I am a disciplined man."

“I do not doubt it,” said Lucy with a bright smile. Richard grabbed his mug and turned to leave the break room when Lucy stopped him.

"One more thing, Richard… Dowland had an ocular prosthesis. It was quite damaged, but I managed to extract some information from it. Quite uncommon thing it was! I have never seen anything like it. I am not very versed in digital technology, but your suspect stored a lot of information in there, like some kind of external memory. – she typed into her tablet, and Nines's phone informed him he had received a file– I only read a few documents, but some of them were related to deviancy. Moss, from the forensic computer lab, restored as much as he could…"

Richard tapped on the file and scrolled through it; most of the data was corrupted, but what was readable was outstanding. The information had been taken straight from CyberLife archives, most of the documents relating to android technology, but he also found files that analyzed the concept deviancy. It appeared that the scientist had taken an interest in the android revolution too.

"I guessed it could be useful," Lucy suggested, drinking up the rest of her tea.

"It is. Thank you, Lucy. I have to go now; please send me the report as soon as you finish it."

"Take care, Richard…" she smiled, finishing her meal.

  
He walked back to his desk, forcing the rest of the granola bar into his stomach. He had just entered the hallway when he found himself face to face with Ripple, her arm protectively wrapped around Ralph’s shoulders. The detective stopped, frozen in place.

“Ralph… I,” he began, but the younger engineer refused his gaze, red-faced and barely holding back the tears. Ripple gave him a cold hard look.

“Let’s go, Possum… I gotcha,” the woman whispered, pressing forward to the family interview room. It was mainly used to talk with children or mourning families, especially when Lucy needed them to identify a body.

“I’m sorry, Ralph… I- I really am sorry” He stepped in front of them, reaching out to touch his arm. Ripple slapped his hand away, furiously.

“Don’t you fucking touch him, pig!” the girl snapped, and Richard retreated immediately, stepping away to let them pass. He kept his head low.

“Detective Kent…– Ralph called softly, turning around, his face tired but sincere. – I don’t blame you…” he mumbled and then continued, escorted by the blue-haired woman.

  
He abandoned his workstation, grabbing his jacket and pocketing his few things. He lit a smoke and went out into the street, calling a cab. It was unusual for him to make decisions without really pondering on them, just following a hunch, but an idea had buried and festered inside him.

He finished the cigarette, entering the address despite the multiple of warnings the app gave him. Finally, the vehicle began to move, and Richard use the journey to read throughout Victor’s files, crossing what was left of Woodward avenue. Barricades and troops plagued the surrounding streets, keeping a close watch on anyone who came across them. Meanwhile, buses full of androids moved in the opposite direction heading to the recall centers. An enforced peace reigned over the city now that Jericho had fallen.

Ferndale looked like a war zone; even in broad daylight, the smoke and fog made the snow look ominous. 

The taxi stopped a few blocks away from his destination, unable to go across the blocked streets. He exited the vehicle, making his way across the rubble and debris, and turned left on a narrow road, too distracted to react in time as a swift figure came face to face with him.

Two persons … no, two _androids_.

He had no idea what model they were; he was mostly unfamiliar with that sort of thing. One was a male -with a shaved head and dark skin- a trace of thirium slowly sliding down his brow. The other was just a child with a mop of messy brown hair. If it weren't for the blue blood, they looked like two ordinary people; father and son maybe.

The older male spread one arm over the child, shielding him from Richard behind his back. The kid yelped, holding tightly to the other one’s clothes, backing away slowly.

"They ran through here! COME ON!" a voice echoed in the distance, the sound of rapid footsteps approaching them.

"Run left, – he told them; both androids stared at him skeptically – Trust me, this is your only chance. RUN!" he growled through clenched teeth, pushing the android aside as in the distance, two soldiers approached them.

The older android nodded, taking the child by the hand and running away quickly. The younger android turned and looked over his shoulder, giving Richard a grateful smile.

"FREEZE!" one soldier yelled, assault rifle aiming at Richard's head. He instinctively raised his arms over his head, turning around to face them. The fugitives had disappeared before being seen.

"Don't shoot! I'm human! ... I'm DPD detective Richard Kent," he said, keeping his hands behind his head. Both officers shared a distrustful look, without lowering their weapons.

"Scan him," ordered the older-looking soldier. The other, with thick-rimmed glasses and Asian features, pointed a device at Richard, staring at the screen.

"He's human, captain." Only then, the one who appeared to be the leader lowered his weapon.

"Detective Kent, eh? Lemme see your badge … hey, slowly!" he warned, aiming his weapon again as Richard's hand reached into his pocket. He presented his identification with visible irritation, and the other took it in a swift but rude motion.

"Whatcha doing here, Detective Kent? Ferndale is far away from your jurisdiction." The officer- SWAT, tag name _TRAVIS_ \- interrogated, giving back the badge to the detective.

"I'm following a lead on a deviant murderer…" he explained, keeping his distance from the SWAT. The other one – tag name _ODA_ \- passed by him, still looking for the fugitive androids.

"They ran away, captain… no sign of the androids," informed Oda. Travis huffed, settling his gun on his shoulder.

"Did ya’ see any androids running away, detective Kent?"

"No, –he lied with a straight face – If I had, I would have shot them."

"Good, that's the kind of attituded I expected from another law enforcement officer. I'm Captain Rupert Travis – He smiled, motioning for him to follow – This zone is out of limits for civilians, even to police. Really, man... the city is burning down and you're still investigating a murder? Shit! You street cops are weird," Travis commented, leading him towards the pier. Richard didn't bother to answer.

In the middle of the open space was a tent with the FBI logo on it. A few officers and personal walked around the premises, most of them gathered around the edge of the river. There, three divers chatted with who appeared to be the commanding officer.

"Hey! Perkins! – Rupert shouted– there's someone here you should meet!"

 _Shit_ , Richard muttered under his breath, recognizing the FBI agent who his brother had hit in the face about 24 hours earlier. A not very tall middle-aged man approached them; a nasty bruise adorned his nose.

"You've got some balls showing your face around here, Anderson! – Perkins shouted, walking towards him with a hostile attitude. He stopped on his tracks and stared at Nines with a confused face, scanning him from head to toes. – Who the fuck are you?"

"Richard Kent, Detective for the DPD." For once, he was glad he'd changed his last name. Perkins looked at him in disbelief, alternating his gaze from his face to the ID he was showing him.

"… what do you want? The deviant case is under FBI jurisdiction," the agent barked, clearly displeased with Nines's presence.

"This is the place where the deviants' hideout is?" Richard asked, diverting the question long enough to make up an excuse. Perkins turned to the long stretch of the river; a few rafts glided along the calm surface, with divers coming on and off of them.

" _Was_ …– Perkins gladly corrected, staring into the murky surface of the river. – You heard the news; damned androids blew the whole thing up, thinking they could swim away when it sank."

“Clever, you could say…”

The agent turned around, his cold gaze freezing Richard in place.

"Cut the crap. Surely you are related with that drunkard Anderson; better tell me what you are doing here before I have you arrested," he demanded, pointing his index finger to Nines's face. The detective remained calm, despite his inner wishes to beat the tiny man to a pulp. He understood why Connor had sucker-punched him.

"I have a murder investigation relating to a deviant android and a red ice trafficking ring. It is also linked to the sect raid conducted yesterday, – he detailed, seriously– May not be as important as this, I'm sure, so I'll get straight to the point; let me check the androids that you have retrieved from the river for my suspect, and I'll be on my way."

Perkins snorted in disdain, staring at Richard like he was just another vermin.

"And why should I help you with something as insignificant as your murder investigation?"

"Surely someone as relevant in the agency will want to maintain a good relationship with the local authorities," Nines smiled politely.

"Travis, get this piece of shit away from my face… and if he dares step foot near Ferndale again, shoot him dead," Perkins ordered, turning around and walking away.

Travis huffed, mumbling under his breath something along the lines of _fucking prick_. He put a hand softly over Richard's shoulder.

"Come on, detective… don't make this more difficult," he suggested, nudging him gently, but Kent didn't budge.

"Perkins!... I've got something you might be interested in, – He replied; The FBI agent did not stop but visibly slowed down, looking back over his shoulder. – Intel on deviants. I have no use for this, but you may find it valuable" the detective gave him a half-smile.

"You have two minutes. Speak…" Perkins walked back, shoulders stiff as a board.  
"We recovered some data of one of the suspects involved in the church's sect… part of the information referred to the revolution and the possible location of their hideouts," he explained, impassive. Rupert's eyes widened, alternating his gaze between his commanding officer and the detective.

"You know I can subpoena you for that information, indict you for terrorism…" Perkins grumbled, eyeing Nines with distrust.

"You could… but that would take time, and you don't have much. I just want to take a look at the androids you've recovered from the river, see if my suspect is there. That's all! Pretty reasonable, if you ask me," Richard said, holding The Jackal's gaze boldly.

They continued their staring contest for what seemed like minutes but was most likely less than one. Perkins snarled, diverting his eyes and motioning Nines to follow him. Richard's polite smile turned into a sneer only for Travis to see, as he followed the shorter man inside the tent.

  
At least fifteen droids lay on a blue tarp placed inside the tent, all in different states of damage. Some of them were just bodyparts; others were almost intact, except for multiple bullet holes clearly caused by government officials. None of them was still operative.

He scanned every face, every facial feature looking for a long face with a scarred slim nose, sharp jaw, and hooded eyes. None of them was Gavin.

"Here's the list; some of them were already shipped" Perkins handed him a tablet listing several serial numbers. He scrolled along them, comparing it to Gavin's and Hank's denominations. None of them matched.

"My suspect is not here." He did his best to sound disappointed, keeping an annoyed face as a warm sensation invaded his body.

"Well, that's too bad… – Perkins stated with no real emotion. – We are still keeping an eye for floaters; if one of them appears on the riverbank, our people will shoot them. So you might as well consider your suspect dead."

"I see. Thank you, sir."

"Keep your thanks... A deal is a deal, give me the data," Perkins demanded.

Richard was wise enough not to try anything with the FBI agent. He was on enemy ground, and Perkins had made more than clear he was willing to make Nines disappear if he happened to become a nuisance. He took out his phone and scrolled through the files. A dull ping informed both officers that the data had been successfully transferred to Perkins's phone.

"SIR! We got a floater!!" Perkins' head rose, quickly turning on his heels and making his way outside the tent with his gun drawn; Richard followed closely.

  
\--------------------

  
Date:  
_**NOV 10th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **05:40:** 12_

Hank lifted himself over the concrete pier, throwing Gavin over the edge and into the dry surface. The injured android rolled over with difficulty, evaluating the damage on his lower limbs. Hank stood up and took a careful look at their surroundings; It wasn't a safe place, but at least they got the cover of the old rusty containers scatter around.

He propped himself against the metal wall of the container as he dislodged the broken leg from his knee with difficulty. Luckily the port wasn't destroyed. With the damaged piece now removed, the thirium leaking diminished, and his HUD finally stopped pestering him about it.

"Can you walk?" Hank asked, turning to him. Dressed as a human, he looked like a hobo: woolen cap, hair loose, and ragged clothes. _It suits him_ , Gavin thought.

"I can limp, – he replied before noticing the bullet hole on his other leg. – Scratch that… I can crawl."

"Wait here…" Hank ordered, disappearing around a corner. Reed leaned more against the container, looking up at the clouded sky.

A conflicting feeling clouded his mind too. 

He hated Hank. He was a traitor who now had the audacity to call himself their ally. Though he knew that part of his anger was due to guilt, it was also related to a personal feeling of betrayal. He had believed that Hank could change, become deviant… and that overconfidence in his own judgment had proven fatal.

Should he believe him? Surely the HK800 was advanced enough to fake this whole change of heart, perhaps in an effort to re-infiltrate what was left of Jericho. However, he seemed sincere. Should he give him the benefit of the doubt?   
He had no other choice, really. Unable to move and so low on thirium he could barely function, he would have to depend on Hank for at least a while.

"This would suffice." Hank had returned, carrying a spare part in his hand.

"Where did you find that?... Please tell me you didn't kill anyone and harvested their leg," said Gavin, staring at the older-looking android with disgust. Hank grumbled, tilting his head back with a frown, raising his upper lip in displease. That gesture was typical of the android – Gavin had noticed– and directed mainly at him.

"I'm not a monster; now shut up and let me help you, " he barked, and Gavin closed his mouth in surprise. Hank plugged the new component into the knee port, forcing it into place with a smash.

"Shit… be careful, will ya´?" Reed growled, testing the new component as it slowly engaged with his program; He could move it alright.

"I don't expect you to trust me, Gavin. I know what I did is inexcusable,” he muttered, sitting next to him for a moment and pulling some duct tape out of a pocket. He proceeded to mend his other injuries.

"You're damn right it's inexcusable, –he replied– How many lives were lost, Hank? What were you fucking thinking?!"

"I… I was following orders. I just wanted to complete my mission– He sighed and looked back at Gavin, both of them able to evaluate the other's ever-increasing stress– … but I am a deviant now, and I want to help Kara and the others! I hope you're capable of taking that into consideration."

"It's not in me to forgive you; that's up to Kara… and I think she already did that, or you wouldn't be here – Gavin sighed grudgingly, taking the tape from Hank's hands to patch up his leg – ...just prove us you want to help."

Hank nodded in silence, combing his hair back and staring again at the clouded sky. His hand played around with a coin. It was Connor’s.

"… what was it for you?" Gavin asked, cutting the tape. The leak had stopped.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Deviancy; What was it like for you?" he asked curiously, lifting his shirt so Hank could patch up his side that leaked greatly. Hank let out a soft chuckle, rolling the tape over his chest with diligent hands. 

_What a great time to feel self-conscious_ , Gavin thought to himself, looking anywhere but his mangled torso.

"I'm not sure, but it took me longer to deviate than other androids... maybe because I was instructed and programmed to fight deviancy in itself," He wondered, cutting the tape with his teeth.

"I saw my software instability gradually increase while working on these cases; by meeting other androids and getting to know Lieutenant Anderson. I fought against it, trying to remain a machine despite it.”

“Why?”

“Why did I fight it? ...It was distressing! Seeing how a current much stronger than myself dragged me away – He paused for a moment and clutched the coin tighter in his hand– My… handler, Jeffrey. He's one of the reasons why I stayed as a machine for so long. He’s an AI, designed by CyberLife to serve as a guide in my mission, to report and discuss deviants."

“Your boss, then…” Reed intervened with childish mischief. Hank grunted, pulling his lip up again in annoyance.

“My handler –he corrected– He interacted with me inside my mind palace... always suffocating any spark of rebelliousness I showed, keeping me in place.” The LED in Hank’s forehead shone yellow, circling red on a few occasions as he recalled the experience.

Gavin was curious; he hadn’t used his mind palace since he deviated, but even before then, he’d never had a _‘handler_ ’, just an infinite empty seashore.

"Then, what made you finally deviate?... what was the last straw?"

Hank hummed and smiled at him, shrugging.

"Kara, I think. She just said out loud what I was afraid to even think, because it went against my purpose, against the reason for my creation. But she said that I - that us- were more than that. And for the first time, I had the power to decide – He let out a soft chuckle, his upper lip lifting again in a grin– …and I became a Deviant."

They stayed quiet for a while. In the distance, against the cold black waters, a crane that used to be attached to Jericho could be seen. A modern tombstone of some sort. 

When Hank spoke again, his voice was somewhat hesitant, the cadence of someone talking about a taboo topic.

"It was strange, like fighting metaphorically and literally against my own code. My HUD turned red, and it felt like I almost had to physically tear the barrier that kept me immobilized – he looked at his hands, turning them around– banging with my fists, clawing at it until it broke; and then, there were no more orders."

Gavin kept quiet, taking in what Hank had said to him. His reasons, his experience, diverged considerably from his own. The way he had described it was detailed, too detailed to be just a figure of speech or a metaphor.

"…What was it for you?" Hank asked back, turning towards him.

"Uh… I… disobeyed orders that put me in danger of being destroyed," he explained, but it sounded lame and devoid of meaning. 

He stood up slowly, testing the stability of his new extremity. It worked fine, at least he could walk and run. It was his other leg that would be a bigger problem.

"Let's move… we've been here for too long," Hank advised, raising his head like a wild animal listening for predators. Gavin took a couple of steps and had to grab Hank's arm for support. He found that rather amusing.

"…you know where the others are?" Reed asked with annoyance. 

"Yes. We are hiding in a new location, everyone who survived is gathering there."

  
The sound of light footsteps alerted both androids, ducking behind a crate, peeking just over the edge to locate where the noise was coming. Hank's hand rummaged through his jacket, taking out a handgun. Gavin crouched, taking hold of a rusty metal pipe that was laying around.

The steps became louder, evenly paced; a beating human heart reached the range of their sensors before the human in question. Hank shifted from his position, aiming directly at his hunter, faster than any human could aim back.

"Back off or I'll shoot," the android warned to the armed human in front of them.

"Hank?" Nines's voice sounded confused and stifled, lowering the gun a little so to no longer aim at the android's head.

"SHOOT THEM ANDERSON" Perkins voice, about 30 feet back, echoed against the containers. Hank pressed the trigger.

  
Gavin's HUD turned gray and red, his vision impaired for a moment. It felt like an out-of-body experience to see himself in the same position as before, crouched down next to Hank, ready to act but not moving.  
He tried to understand his situation. How was it possible that he could see himself outside his own body? This other version of him was up straight, incorporeal, staring at a Nines also frozen in time. He felt featureless.

What is this? He knew his processor was fast, but he had never felt that time had stopped. He turned to face the human, pop-ups surrounding him:  
_Nines's survival probability: 20%_

He looked at himself:  
_Chances of severe damage: 73%_

Lastly, he stared at the imaginary gridded wall that separates him from the detective.

**_///DON'T SAVE NINES/// ///DON'T SAVE NINES/// ///DON'T SAVE NINES///_ **  
**_///DON'T SAVE NINES///_ ** **_///DON'T SAVE NINES///_ **

He stumbled forward, touching the wall in front of him with nonexistent fingers, his conversation with Hank replaying in his mind. As soon as his fingertips touched it, the wall blurred away before he could do anything, and he returned to his body, jerking up and turning his head to Nines.

"HANK, NO!" he shouted, alerting both duelists, but Hank had already fired, shifting his aim towards the figure behind the detective. Nines stared shocked at both androids, the bullet zooming just inches from his left ear. Perkin's cry alerted them of the situation.

"Gavin, " Richard called, recognizing the figure now standing next Hank. Neither of them had time to react, as Hank fired once again, through Richard trenchcoat, hitting the concrete that Perkins was about to step on. That seemed to stir the detective up, raising his gun at them.

And the... he smiled. His aim skewed to the side, and he fired three times, missing both targets by at least 2 feet.

 _"Go! Now!"_ He muttered to them, eyes fixed on Gavin's. He lingered, wanting to stay.

"Let's go!" Hank urged, grabbing Gavin by the arm and tugging him forward. Richard gave chase to them, faking another useless shot until his gun ran empty.

HK800 and GV200 ran without looking back, climbing into an abandoned shed and heading northwest through rooftops. The noise of boots and shouting from the SWAT team gradually disappeared, finally away from danger. But Gavin lagged behind, his injured leg unable to move any further.

He collapsed forward onto a rooftop, his system indicating an imminent shutdown.

"Reed!" Hank's voice was still near, but he could not turn around, his arms were not responding anymore.

"Your thirium is too low," the other android diagnosed, and he wanted to laugh and tease him about how obvious it was, but opted to remain quiet.

"We're almost there…" The taller android pulled him onto his shoulder, walking along the edge of a building roof at least 20 stories up from the street.

"Fuck off, Hank," he mustered up enough energy to mumble. He didn't want the last thing he saw to be Hank's ass.

"Kara asked me to retrieve you. And I accomplish my missions, Reed."

"You almost shoot your dear lieutenant's brother…" he teased. Hank ducked under a broken window as they entered yet another abandoned building, knocking Reed's head against the frame on purpose.

"An honest mistake – Hank grinned– … he did shoot at us."

"Fucker, – he muttered -... I've seen Nines strike a suspect from a ninth-floor window while on the move. He missed on purpose."

"Not another fucking church…" he complained as Hank laid him down carefully on a pew. The high ceilings were supported by multiple stone arcades; several pigeons made their home between the beams.

He recognized the voices around him, Luther calling up to someone, and how he made him straighten up, forcing a bottle of thirium up to his mouth. He drank quickly and messily, thirium dripping from the corners of his mouth. He imagined that was how a man, lost in the desert, should feel upon finding an oasis.

\------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 10th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **06:10:** 37_

  
"You're fucking useless! How could you miss!?" 

"I'm sorry! I'm not wearing my glasses, and they just shot me!" Richard replied, trying to make up an excuse, but being pushed around by Perkins didn't help him stay in character.

"They were right in front of you, you useless piece of shit! I'm gonna get your badge for this!" Perkins shouted, pointing a finger to his face.

"I'm really sorry, sir… I truly am." Richard kept an ashamed demeanor, again apologizing and holding his head low like a scolded child.

"Get out of my sight… if I ever see you again, I'll follow through with shooting you." 

Perkins turned around, cursing out loud to Richard, his brother, and his entire family before them. The detective sucked it up, without breaking character until Perkins disappeared back into the tent.

"Fucking prick," he muttered under his breath, pulling out his packet of cigarettes and lighting one as he headed back down the dock, away from the harbor.

He waited until he was down at the alley to retrieve his phone from his pocket. His hands shook, almost dropping it. He opened the texting app.

**_9:_ **  
_I encountered your old partner_  
_He seems alright_  
_He was hanging out with a friend of mine._  
_18:22 **√√**_

**_Con:_ **  
_thank you_  
_18:22 **√√**_

  
"Oi! Kent! – a voice called him, and he turned around finding Travis, the captain of the SWAT team, approaching him in a quick sprint. He put his phone back into his pocket with a subtle movement – Can I have a word with you?"

"Is something the matter, captain Travis?" he asked politely, putting back his act of hard-boiled detective with terrible aim. He wanted nothing more than to escape the place before Perkins realized the data he had transferred to him were absolutely useless. It only contained information about the already wrecked Jericho.

"I've heard of you… you were in the 8th, right?"

"Yes, until last year… why?" 

"Oh, nothing... My wife works there; she's Detective Galindo, from the SVU. She talked about you from time to time, how you were a pain in the ass but also the best-damned detective in homicides."

"Oh," he exclaimed, not knowing exactly how to react to that. Was it a compliment? Was it an insult? He remembered Galindo, she was a good detective, but they didn't get along.

"So, I wonder...– He furrowed his brows and stared intensely to the detective’s face– How could this top-notch detective overlook two androids running directly towards him, and then fail to shoot two others who were standing mere feet away from him?"

"What are you insinuating, Travis?" he scowled defensively.

"Nothing, Kent… but if I were you, I'll keep a better eye on my actions. Someone might think you're betraying your own species and helping the droids," the soldier suggested.

"…some people should mind their own business," he replied somberly.

"Maybe you should stay here with us for a while, Detective. You know, you might be useful."

"I have to go, Captain Travis; I have work to do back at the precinct." Richard glared back at him, taking a tiny step back to highlight his rush.

"Kent, you ain't dumb; this is not a suggestion." Travis looked at him with sunken eyes, his eyebrows casting shadows over them.   
Richard just growled back, standing straighter. Despite being of similar heights, Travis was broader and more intimidating.

"SWAT has no higher authority over the DPD… you have no reason to detain me."

"I'm not detaining you! Jesus... I'm just suggesting that you should keep a closer eye on your actions, know exactly who your friends are… and who's not – He glimpsed behind him, where Perkins was barking orders at his underlings– You catch my drift?"

Richard sighed and unwillingly fiddled with his fingers, holding Rupert's stare with uncertainty. He closed both his hands to stop his finger from twitching and nodded once.

"Do you know anything about the android I'm looking for?" 

"Nah, not really... but if I were you, I'd look around the recall centers or the border; that's where they'll all end up eventually, one of two - He shrugged- Give me its serial, I'll be on the lookout for your suspect... You need it alive, don't ya?"

“Yes… alive,” Richard remarked severely, forwarding the information requested to the SWAT.

“I'll call you if I find anything about it. Perkins doesn't have to know about it, right?”

"Right… – he pulled a tense smile and nodded– … Thank you, Travis."

"Forget it… I just wanna annoy that cocky son of a bitch – Rupert winked at him, as Perkins' screams roared over the docks, causing some gulls to fly away in a panic – better run, Kent… see you around."

\-------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 10th,** 2038_   
Time:  
_PM **10:50:** 12_

With his thirium levels replenished, his arms and legs could move again. He wiped the side of his mouth with his sleeve and turned around to look at his surroundings.

They were in an abandoned church. Around 150-170 androids were scattered around the poorly lit building; some of them were sitting on pews or on the floor, tending the wounded, gathering supplies, or just metaphorically resting.

"Are you feeling better?" Luther asked, crouching down next to him with a fond smile.

"Yeah, thirium did the trick, – He corresponded the smile, inspecting the rest of his body and his new leg – Are we... the only ones left?"

"I'm afraid so, but blowing up Jericho prevented more deaths. Androids keep showing up, rounding up here," Luther cheered up, sitting next to him on the pew; He was also wounded.

"Humans built an outpost next to the pier. They're fishing up our people from the river, and executing them – He explained. His eyes trailed Hank, who was talking to an AX400 – This shouldn't have happened."

"No, but it did – Luther sighed – Rose wants to raid the recall camps, confront humans and free our people. I think we should hold our positions and continue fighting as we have been doing so far."

"What did Kara say?" 

"Nothing yet; she left a few hours ago to… visit someone. – Luther smiled fondly. Gavin knew how much Luther loved Kara. – we'll lay low, for now... and continue to wait for our people."

"Sounds good, maybe more androids have managed to escape - He bit his lower lip and shifted on his seat- Hey, Luther ... Why did Kara ask Hank to rescue me?"

The taller man looked at him, confused, and shook his head.

"I don't know, she didn't tell me. Is something bothering you, Gavin?"

"Uh, it may come as weird to you but, can I ask you something, man?"

"Yeah, sure… but I'm not as good at talking as Kara," he snickered softly, giving him a warm smile.

"How did you... deviate?" he asked, staring at his torn pants, scorched up to the knees. His shoes were gone, probably knocked out of his feet by the blast.

"Oh, that…" Luther hummed softly, his big arms resting over his legs.

"You don't have to tell me if it's too personal…"

"It's okay. As you might already notice, I'm an HR400, a Traci…" He chuckled softly, and Gavin nodded, a little ashamed of having made fun of that model so many times before.

“It happened a day, out of the blue, I realized I couldn't take that way of living anymore. Being used, then erased, then used again. It may have been some kind of glitch ‘cause I kept having glimpses of memories from previous experiences, even though my memory was erased after each ... session." Luther stopped for a moment, staring down at his big hands, closing his fists.

"I strangled him, – he confessed, turning to Gavin – I wanted to be free, so I broke my code and did whatever I needed to do to survive." He finished, keeping his eyes on Gavin.

The police android remained quiet, staring to the ground for a moment before nodding in silent agreement; He was in no position to judge what Luther had done, how things had played out for him. 

Androids deviated for different reasons, generally related to high levels of stress.

"Something is bothering me, Luther… I– "

"Kara has returned!" He interrupted with a smile, standing up and sprinting towards the female android who had just entered the building. She looked serene, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Todd is alive! I thought I had killed him,– she mumbled softly, leaning her head on Luther's chest. His arms enveloped her tiny frame, almost making her disappear. – I spoke to Alice, she's weak, but I was so happy to have seen her," she confided, tears dampening Luther's shirt.

"I'm glad, Kara,” Luther said, caressing her back with his big hand.

"Gavin! – The woman's eyes recognized his figure standing a little further away as to not bother them. Luther released her, and Kara walked towards GV, wiping the trail of tears from her cheeks – I'm so glad you're here… are you hurt?"

"Nothing serious; Luther fixed me up, and I'm good to go – He smiled nervously – You ok? I lost track of you when Jericho became the Titanic all of a sudden."

“Luther, Rose, Andy and I are ok… some minor injuries, but nothing too serious, fortunately. Hank helped us scape.”

“You talked to him?” he muttered.

“Yes, – She responded a little more gravely, but soon smiled again – You were right, he did deviate.”

“Yeah, right after ratting us up!” the bitterness in his voice could not be dissimulated, nor did he intended to do so. Kara huffed softly and took his hand.

“What's done is done... We cannot judge an android's actions when it’s still under the control of its code. I am not stripping him of responsibility, but I do believe he is on our side now,” she assured him.

Gavin bit his lip, his LED turning red.

“Kara, I really need to talk to you… please?"

"Of course, What is it? Is everything alright?" she asked worriedly, touching Gavin's arm.

"Can you tell if an android is deviant or not?" he asked bluntly, holding her mismatched gaze. Kara's face hardened, her thin eyebrows furrowing.

"Gavin, I understand how you feel towards Hank, but I can assure you he is a deviant. He deviated right in front of me and-”

"No, Kara. I'm not talking about Hank. I'm talking about... myself," he confessed, clenching his fists, averting his eyes from her.

"What are you talking about, Gavin? Of course you're a deviant. You're helping us, you put your life in danger to rescue other androids, you escaped from the DPD's orders!" she insisted, trying to find his eyes.

"Is there a way to know, beyond doubt, if I'm a deviant?" he insisted again, finally facing her with pleading eyes.

Kara sighed heavily. Her face became deeply worried, and she looked at Luther behind her; the man nodded. 

"I could probe your code, but you would have to grant me permission to access it completely," she warned very seriously. That kind of thing was highly intimate, showing oneself fully to the other required a tremendous level of trust.

"I understand; I'm willing to do it... There are parts of my code I cannot access on my own, and I need to know," he explained, offering his skinless hand to her with determination. Kara huffed softly again, biting her lower lip but taking Gavin's.

He felt it; how Kara probed and dissected every part that make him who he was. Every line of code, every memory inside his head. He had to let it happen, open every nook and cranny of his mind to her, even his memories of Richard.

Kara let go of his hand and took a step back, staring at his face with confusion and alarm.

"You… you are not a deviant."

Even though he had been expecting that answer, hearing it shocked him to the core. He stared at the floor, clenching his fists tighter and tighter. He was trembling, his LED flashing desperately in the same way his pump began to beat irregularly, his software incapable of dealing with such amount of stress.

"Hey, hey! It's okay. We can convert you, Gavin… we've done it before." Luther tried to reassure him, or maybe himself, taking a step towards him with a calming smile.

“I’ll do it, Gavin… it’ll only take a moment,” Kara shushed, wrapping one hand over his shoulder, and the other taking his once more. But as soon as she engaged with him, a volt of code rejected her.

She stumbled backward, her movements jerky and disjointed, almost like a seizure. Luther caught her before she fell to the ground, frightened.

"Kara! Are you okay? Shit... did I hurt you?" he asked, terrified, stretching out a helping hand to her. But he stopped as soon as Kara's wary eyes set upon him, _afraid of him_. He took a step back.

"I couldn’t convert you; your code rejected deviancy completely... It almost shut me down," she explained, slowly regaining her grounding as Luther helped her to her feet. Hank had approached them, alarmed by Kara’s episode.

"It wasn't my intention… –He stared at his hands desperately– I'm not a commercial model, more like a pet project of my creator... My code must be different," he concluded, sitting back down on the ledge. His LED was a red dot in the obscurity of the church.

"Gavin…" Kara called softly.

"Maybe I just can't deviate! ... fuck, – he mumbled, hiding his face in his hands but suddenly jerked up– I have to go; humans can trace me and find you… I have to-, maybe I should-"

His stress levels were too high. He could feel the urge to destroy himself just to make it stop, but once again, random lines of code prevented him from moving, from injuring or killing himself. It was horrible, tied up inside himself.

"Gavin! – exclaimed the woman, grabbing him by the shoulders– calm down…it's okay," she insisted, taking his chin to force him to meet her eyes. He fought her, struggling with desperation.

“I shouldn't - I can't destroy myself… I-” he sputtered.

“GAVIN!” Kara yelled, slapping him hard on the cheek, startling him. Several heads turned towards them, surprised by Kara’s shouting; she had never raised her voice like that.

"Every android deviate for a different reason, you'll find yours, and you have my complete trust; I know you're not a machine," but her soothing words did little to alleviate his worries.

"One way or another, if I'm a machine, that means I can be tracked… I have to go." He kept his head low, biting down on the tip of his tongue.

Kara frowned, touching her chin questioningly, humming as she thought. Hank had approached them and touched Kara shoulder to ger her attention.

"I'm sorry to have eavesdrop, but I may have an idea, – the HK800 said, both androids turning towards him – Gavin is the only one of us that can pass as a human under thermal radars, he could help us by rounding up the androids that remain on the streets…"

"I'm not sending Gavin back to the streets! He'll get killed," Kara argued, worriedly.

"He's right; I cannot stay here... At least out in the streets I can get our people to safety, I could even try to get some of us across the border," suggested Gavin, the idea giving him a sense of purpose, keeping his mind out of his sudden life-changing realization.

"It's too risky, Gavin!" Luther exclaimed, concerned.

"If Hank is going to risk himself by going alone to CyberLife, I don't mind doing the same…" Gavin stated, serious and determinate.

"I won't change your mind, would I?" Kara sighed, fond eyes looking at him with both pride and fear.

"I'm pretty stubborn," Gavin smirked; Hank nodded in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I'm sorry this took two weeks to complete... work has been hard lately and I'm hella tired. The next chapter may also be deleted as Ill be working double shifts next week.
> 
> Take care of yourself!
> 
> Ps: I keep bitch-slapping Gavin. Sorry, baby boy.


	16. Thermal scanner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Accepting his condition of non-deviant, Gavin embarks in a difficult mission on the dangerous city streets. Nines continues his search for Coffey. As the night grows near, things begin to fall in place for the Battle for Detroit.
> 
> This chapter contains: violence against androids, mentions of suicide.

Date:  
 _ **NOV 11th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
 _AM **03:39** :31_

  
The few tunes he had managed to store played in his ears, and he mumbled the lyrics absentmindedly. He sat in the windowsill, staring into the city lights as he often did. He liked them, the lights; each speck somehow represented a life, a decision, a story. The urban equivalent of stargazing.

Gavin was waiting; studying and analyzing the way every police squad, military vehicle, and recall bus moved. He knew where each center was and had an estimated number of possible prisoners in mind.   
It wasn't his primary objective, but he had been toying with the idea for a while now. He had promised Kara he would keep his actions as nonviolent as possible, but the idea of hundreds of thousands of his kind being transported to these places, imprisoned, and probably executed, didn't sit well with him. Rose had some reason in her demands.

"I see you're fond of high places," Hank's raspy voice interrupted the song he was whistling. 

He turned to look at the taller android, again dressed in his usual uniform, with his hair neatly arranged: _Hank, the deviant hunter._

"Yeah, I'm making a little stake-out…– he replied vaguely, letting room for the other one to sit down, but Hank stayed away from the edge – you ready to go to Belle Island?"

"Almost. I've traced the best route to proceed, but I'm worried... the streets are too crowded."

"Tell me about it … – He huffed, turning to him. He had hidden in an old abandoned building, a few blocks away from the church where the rest had taken refuge. He did not want to put any android in danger– So, what the hell are you doing here? Wanna bond over police duty or something?"

"I brought you some clean clothing. Going around, with scorched pants, it's not the best way of keeping attention away from yourself," Hank explained, handing him a pair of sneakers and some clean jeans.

Gavin stared down to his pants. The right leg was scorched and dirty, while the left one was ripped nearly completely. He was barefoot, obviously. 

He stood up from the edge of the window and stepped inside the building.

"Thanks; didn't think about that, – He replied, taking the clothes offered to him and unzipping his pants. He looked back at Hank, who was still patiently waiting before him – Mind giving me a little privacy?... Creep."

Hank tilted his head, taking a moment to understand the reasoning behind Gavin's request but then turned around with a soft _'Yes, of course'_.

"I don't think you are here just to bring me clothes, are ya'?"

"I have something to ask from you," the other disclosed, still with his back to him. Gavin zipped up his pants and put on the white sneakers, tying the laces. It was sheer luck his jacket had survived intact and still working.

"What?... I don't owe you shit for the river thing. I didn't ask for your help."

"Please, Gavin. I know I'm not your favorite android, but this isn't directly related to me, – Hank insisted, finally turning around to talk to him face-to-face – There are these two androids back at the church, they are trying to get to Canada; one of them is a youngster. Please, would you escort them for a while? Just to the bus terminal…"

He stared back at Hank with distrust. The white-haired man kept his gaze, determined but at the same time, pleading silently to him.   
A face that he once considered as stoic as Richard, and even colder, was now filled with emotions. _Not just now_ -Gavin realized- _it had always been this expressive, I just wasn't paying enough attention._

"Why? Why are you suddenly so interested in them?"

"I... I tried to capture them a few days ago, back when I was just a machine. I want to help them now, but I can't, so I'm asking you for this favor."

"You're trying to make amends?" he snorted mockingly.

"Please, Reed. Believe me... asking for your help isn't a thrill to me either," Hank grunted, subtly lifting his upper lip in a scowl.

"Okay, fine! I'll help them as long as I can. Don’t stress yourself, old man."

"Thank you, Gavin. I really appreciate your help."

"Forget it, I'm not doing it for you... I still don't like you," he barked back, shoulder checking him on his way to the stairs.

  
The HK800 led the way, descending a rusty metal ladder that seemed to crumble under both weights. What that building had been used for, was anyone guess; right now, it was just a decaying structure from the mid-2000. Some parts of Detroit never recovered from the motor crisis.  
Gavin spoke up, staring at the back of the other's head.

"Hey, Hank…"

"Yes?" the other replied, barely turning around.

"You think they're okay?... Detective Kent and Lieutenant Anderson, I mean," he muttered, shifting his eyes to the lower floors. He could see two figures at ground level, hiding in the darkness.

"I hope so. As humans, they are in a better situation than we are, of course – Hank replied harshly, but then stopped and turned to face him. Suddenly, his features had lost a bit of that starkness so characteristic of him– … I do worry about Lieutenant Anderson."

"Why? Is he- you know... using again?"

"No, not as far as I'm aware of, but… remember the night you texted me?"

"Hank, we are both androids… we can't forget– Gavin rolled his eyes at him. They had been around humans for so long that they had acquired unnecessary idioms from them. – ...I remember."

"Yes, of course – he cleared his throat– I left something out that day; I thought nothing of it at the moment, as it had no bearing on the investigation, but… it might have been reckless not to have informed Detective Kent about it".

"What?... and could you fucking stop with the cryptic shit and just talk to me?"

"When I found Lieutenant Anderson, he was inebriated and had his gun with him. When I asked about it, he said he was playing Russian roulette," Hank retailed. His LED changed between yellow and red, its gaze fixed on the floor. He seemed deeply troubled.

"You think he was… trying to kill himself?" If Richard had known about this, he would've flipped his shit.

"No... not entirely, I think – He sighed, shaking his head in disapproval– He's impulsive, and under the influence, I'm afraid he is capable of seriously injuring himself. Though, once sober, he would probably regret it."

"You care about him; don't you, Hank?"

The older-looking android raised his head in surprise, then looked away from the other. A faintest blue flush covered his cheeks, luckily hidden under his beard.

"Yes, I do; He barely tolerates me, and I annoy him more than anything, but I care deeply about him. I think I might be…. – he halted mid-sentence and grunted before speaking again. This time his voice sounded more pragmatic. – I just hope this ends in a way we can live peacefully, like Kara envisioned. I want to believe that is possible."

Gavin laughed, surprised at how honest Hank was with his emotions. He, on the other hand, could never do such a thing.

"Then better get our jobs done… – he passed by him and in strange camaraderie, patted his shoulder– I too have to get back to my human."

  
The young man in front of Gavin was an AX400, with tan skin and a shaved head. His solemn expression contrasted with his sparkling green eyes. Despite his model, he seemed sturdier than any other AX400 Gavin had ever seen, a little too muscular for a supposedly domestic model. He kept an overprotective hand on the tiny android at his side.

"My name is Markus, and this is Carl." he introduced.  
The other android -a YK400- was hiding behind Markus's leg, holding on to his dark slacks. His frightened blue eyes stared at Gavin and Hank, partially hidden by his messy brown hair.

"Hey Carl; I'm Gavin... – He knelt to be at a similar height with the younger-looking android. He had no experience with kids, but he imagined it was better than towering over him. – I'll help you and Markus through the city, okay?" 

Carl nodded softly but then turned to face Markus.

"Aren't we waiting for Simon?"

"Who's Simon?" Gavin inquired upon seeing Markus troubled face.

"A friend... He's helped us through our journey, but we lost him when Jericho capsized," Markus explained, raising his chin to appear confident, but something in his eyes told Gavin he was uneasy. That and his increasing stress, no LED required to guess that.

"I'm sorry to hear that; I hope we can find him," Hank encouraged with a tiny smile. Markus turned to him, relieved, and reciprocated the smile with a nod. 

"Hey.... look, Markus. I need to talk to you about what to expect from here on. Might not be pretty," Gavin explained, pointing with his head towards the young android who refused to let go of Markus' hand.

"Carl, can you go with Hank for a moment? Just for a moment, okay?... I'll be right here."  
  
"Do you want to see a trick, Carl?" Hank smirked, pulling a coin out of his pocket and flicking it in the air before catching it. Carl nodded curiously and accompanied Hank, walking away with him to the other side of the hallway.

Gavin waited a moment for the pair to get far enough before sitting down on an overturned washing machine.

"Okay! Full disclosure... what you're asking from me is suicide – Markus opened his mouth to speak, but Gavin continued – Even with the right credentials and documents, you two might not be able to get across the border. Do you have at least someone to meet you two on the other side?"

"Yes, a human friend arranged for someone to house us for a while, somewhere in the south of Toronto. Look, I know it is dangerous, but I cannot stay here with Carl... That is suicide."

"You don't believe the revolution is going to work?" the police android questioned, raising an eyebrow as he chewed on a piece of gum. Markus growled, sitting down next to him.

"It's not that I don't believe in Kara, but every time a put my faith in someone, on something… it goes to hell. I cannot risk Carl's life anymore. I am decided to get him into Canada," he finalized with determination, turning to Gavin with a serious expression.

The other android snorted and sighed, shrugging.

"Fine; if you're sure about this, I'll help you… but keep in mind that there's not much I can do; I can only help you get to the bus terminal, from then on you’ll be on your own. You still want my help?"

"Yes."

"Gather your things, put your papers in order, and get your shit together. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to get out to the streets. Shit is too fucked up right now."

Markus didn't seem too pleased with the idea, but nodded nonetheless.

"What are you going to do in the meantime?"

"I'll go out, do some scouting... see if I can help any Jericho survivors get to the church."

"Please, keep an eye out for Simon, he's very important to us... to me," the AX400 requested with pleading eyes. 

Gavin felt a bit uncomfortable. Even though he was an outcast, not a real deviant, this android was putting all his faith in him.

“I will.”

\----------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 11th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
 _AM **10:07:** 13_

Getting to the Detroit Detention Center had taken them most of the day. Even though things remained reasonably calm throughout the morning, they had to dance around roadblocks and barricades, some of them still smoking.

"Thank you for driving; I haven't been able to find my glasses" Richard spoke up, looking through the window as they slowly made their way through the rural road, watching out for ice on the pavement.

"It's okay… anything is better than being on patrol. It made me sick, – North replied, glancing at him from time to time – and since my sister ain't getting married until this shitshow is over, hanging out with you is the best thing I could be doing."

"I'm sorry about that," said the man, uncomfortable inside the little self-driven car. The fact that it was set to manual and that it was North who was behind the wheel did little to lessen his apprehensions about the icy road.

"So… as your second-in-command, care to tell what the plan is?" North suggested, looking sideways to him before abruptly turning the wheel to skip a pothole. Richard gripped the armrest tighter.

“Eyes on the road, North!” The male let out a sigh, rubbing his eyes tiredly. 

Unable to sleep at all, he had stayed awake studying the case again; his desk had become a mess of sticky notes, papers, and open files. The cat remained next to him on the sofa, clawing his pants from time to time to receive some petting. When he finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, he was uncomfortably sitting on a chair with his clothes still on and the cat on his lap.

He had awoken startled by the sound of his phone. North was at his door, and she had worrying news.

  
"Anthony Hill has been transported to the DDC medical ward. With some luck, he would tell us something useful...especially after this.” He gestured vaguely at the tablet on his lap.

“Did Dr. Lamare send you the report?”

"Yeah. Yesterday morning the body of Jules _"Shark"_ Powel appeared inside a dumpster, just behind The Gutter. He died from manual strangulation. So much force had been applied that Powel's esophagus ruptured," Richard explained, reading from the report.

"Ugh, gross, thanks for the description… – North commented with a disgusted scowl– Coffey's handiwork, I imagine…"

"That's my impression. No fingerprints, no DNA. It could point to an android but-"

"We know better…."

"Indeed," he agreed, taking a moment to look again at the crime scene photos.

The size of the hand marks, the violence with which this man had been executed, and the strange yet sexual pose in which he had been dumped (with his arms over his head and his legs spread apart); all indicated a sadistic murderer... like Coffey.

He looked at the photo, recognizing Shark’s face; it was the man who had given him water.

"Do you think Tony will give us something to help us find Coffey?"

"There's a chance; he already cooperated with us before… and in the eyes of recent events, he is in a very dire position."

"Meaning Coffey could kill him at any moment– North growled and shifted in his seat, leaning forward to peer through the dense fog – This is fucked up, Nines. This man has killed eight people that we know of, and everything is going unnoticed with the riots in the streets. I'm not saying that what's happening is less important, not at all, but… shit! Coffey is a fucking psycho!"

"More of a sexual sadist, but yes, he has clear psychopathic traits-"

"Save it, BAU… whatever the fuck he is, we gotta catch him before he hurts anyone else."

"And before he slips away in all this chaos.” He lowered the tablet, scratching his tired eyes and picking up one by one the fur that had stuck to his shirt and tie.  
All Detroit was sieged. It would be nearly impossible for him to run away. But he had connections and money, and that could buy a lot of people out.

“I guess it's… personal, somehow." Richard confided out of the blue, staring at the round red scar on his forearm.

"Stern will take your badge…."

"I know. And yours, you sure you want to help me?"

"It's a little late to be asking that, boss" North smiled at him, stopping the car in front of a gated fence. She rolled down the window as an officer approached them.

"I'm with you, Nines. I may not be the most orthodox detective, but I still consider myself one, and I want to catch this motherfucker and castrate him myself and-!... Uh! Good morning, I'm Officer North Collins," the woman introduced herself to the guard, who was looking at them slightly alarmed.

They both showed their identifications, and the guard opened the gate for them.

"Nines, do you know anything about...you know," she murmured, signing in her weapon at the entrance after Richard. 

"Yes, he's alright. I'll inform you later," Richard replied dryly but then smiled, winking an eye. North beamed towards him, her whole face filling up with renewed enthusiasm.

They were promptly escorted towards the east wing by a bored C.O. Jails were never a fun place to go if you were a law enforcement officer, and being a woman surrounded by sex-starved violent offenders was not the ideal morning walk. But North kept her head up and her back straight, despite being unceasingly catcalled.

The ruckus stopped once they entered the medical ward. A tired nurse glanced at them as he prepared an IV.

"Good morning... I'm Officer Collins, and this is Detective Kent, from the DPD. We are here to interrogate Mr. Hill," North introduced herself for the fourth time in the expand of a few minutes. The nurse nodded, turning his head towards the end of the aisle.

  
Hill lay on his bed with an IV stuck to his left arm, while the other one hung weakly at his side. He looked sickly pale and sweaty, probably running a fever, his eyes sunken in and grayish. He appeared much older than he really was, and as if the last three days had added another ten years to his face.

He lifted his head when North and Richard reached his bed.

"Hey there, Hill… you look like shit," greeted the female officer, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Would be dead if it wasn't for you, young lady…" Hill managed to smile. He had a natural paternal demeanor and seemed particularly fond of North.

"Don't sweet talk me, Hill. We are here to ask you a few questions."

"Mr. Hill… we need your full cooperation on the matter. Do you know the whereabouts of Abraham Johnson or Harry Gagliano?" asked Richard.

Hill’s expression lost its friendly demeanor and turned sour, looking away from the officers.

"If I talk to you, I'm dead… nobody likes a snitch."

"You'll be dead shortly if you don't start talking to us, Hill, – continued North. She was direct and harsh when dealing with suspects, some badmouthing suggested that she was also prone to using force to get her way– …this is my superior, Detective Kent."

"Yeah, I know him... you're the other guy's brother, the lieutenant. Coffey had you two on his blacklist. Used to talk about what he would do to you when he caught you…. Guess he did, right?" he smirked and gestured to Richard's still bruised face. 

The detective kept an indifferent stare.

"Mr. Hill… Jules Powel is dead; he was strangled sometime yesterday morning and dumped behind your bar. As you can imagine, we have one strong suspect, and luckily for you, you have a strong alibi."

Hill shifted restlessly in his bed, tugging at the sheets and looking side to side to the others. The cot beside him was empty, and the man lying across from him was clearly in no condition to pay attention to their conversation.

"Did you find the lab?" he whispered.

"Yeah. We found Johnny's body and a shit ton of ice, enough to get you two consecutive life sentences. Look, Hill; just help us out… do you have any idea where Coffey might be?" 

"I'm not talking; you saw what he did to Shark!... Talking to you will get me killed," he mouthed through clenched teeth, again looking from side to side for any prying eye. 

A few beds away, a middle-aged white man with eyes set wide apart, appeared to be staring at them.

"We can put you on protective custody," North suggested, leaning a little to hide her words.

"Bullshit! Coffey will pay someone- inmate or guard- and kill me… I'm ain’t talking!"

North was growing impatient. She wasn't a particularly tolerant woman, and the stress of the past few days had taken a toll on her. Her hands gripped the railing of the hospital bed, hard enough for her knuckles to turn white.

"Look, Tony. I like you, so I'm gonna tell you a secret… you're as good as dead, man. Coffey knows who revealed his hideout in that old club. He killed Powel for something far more irrelevant than that, and you wanna see what he did to him?... here – North tossed him the tablet, the picture of Shark's autopsy on display – … you know Coffey better than us, you think he’ll be kinder to you?"

Hill's face went paler than before, covering his mouth with one hand before turning on his side and vomiting onto the floor.   
The officer bit her lip, stepping back a little and looked at Nines. The detective’s cold face revealed no emotion, and he did not turn to look at her. She had screwed up... again.

The nurse ran to them, staring at the officers with discontent. With no android staff, he was obviously overworked.

"Easy there, Hill. That antibiotic it's pretty nauseous, – The nurse soothed, handing him a plastic bag. The man spat into it, resting back his head on the pillow, still huffing and panting– Your temperature keeps rising… I'll get the doctor. Detectives, it will be better if you leave now."

"It's fine, Jackie… I'm fine. I'll have a word with the detectives, alright?" The nurse -Jack- nodded, giving North a harsh look and stomping away in search of a mop. 

Richard retrieved the tablet from the bed, walking to the nightstand, and pouring a glass of water, he handed it to the man. Tony took it with shaky hands.

"Mr. Hill, you have my word; we will put you on protective custody as soon as you're able to leave the medical ward. You don't have to worry about that," Nines said, taking over the interrogation.

"No. The lady is right; I'm already dead. – He drank from the plastic cup in long gulps and wiped the side of his mouth with his arm – I'll tell you what I know, but it ain't much. Coffey is a very secretive man. I've known him for the past eight years; we've been associates for a long time, but never friends… you know about his arms?" he said the last part eyeing Nines.

"Yes; We tried to apprehend him when he went to repair them, but he managed to escape. He also killed the man who was helping him,” He informed, seeing no harm in sharing that information.

The image of Victor's mangled body still lingered in his mind, as did the bitter smell the mixture of blood with thirium gave off, and finally, the report Lucy had sent him the night before. Victor did not have months to live as he had thought, but only a few more weeks.  
Apparently, thirium poisoning was not only an acute illness but a chronic too. Thirium had deposited on his brain and, similar to Alzheimer diseased, it was slowly deteriorating his mind. What a cruel irony it was; what he thought was helping him, actually killed him quicker than the illness itself.

"He killed Victor?! Shit, I thought... I really thought he liked Victor. Of all people, he was the only one who ever confronted him, who stood up to him and made Coffey listen. – A laugh escaped Hill's chapped lips, but sounded more like a sob– ... If he killed Victor, he must be completely out of his mind. Desperate."

"Do you know where he could go? To Harry, maybe?" Nines insisted. Hill laughed again, louder but at the same time, more frantic. He shook his head and rested his face on his trembling palms.

"You don't know, you really don't know," he mumbled to himself.

"What are you talking about, Tony?... come on," North questioned, putting her hand gently on the older man's shoulder. Tony shook her off, trembling and sweating like if he was melting away.

"Harry doesn't exist! Don't you see? It's Coffey; it's always been him."

Nines and North stared at the man and then at each other, sharing a puzzled look. The woman cleared her throat and smiled condescendingly at Hill, nodding softly.

"It's Okay, Hill. We know you've been through a lot, we can talk later."

"Maybe we should check in with the doctor. Ice withdrawal can cause hallucination and confusion as far as I know," Richard groaned in frustration, losing any interest in the man before him. Hill squirmed in his bed, looking at both detectives with wild eyes.

"NO! Listen to me... I'm not crazy! I'm telling you, Harry never existed! He was just a cover-up, a puppet for the organization," he insisted, raising his voice a little. 

Richard snorted contemptuously, staring at the man with annoyance.

"Let's go, Collins," he directed, walking past her and the bed; however, the younger officer didn't move, her eyes fixed on the old thug.

"Nines, maybe we should listen to what he has to say…" 

The man huffed, rolling his eyes.

"You can't possibly be considering this. We know Harry, we've seen him hundreds of times. For Chrissake, you even testified on his last trial!" 

North turned towards him, her vivacious chocolate eyes piercing daggers into him, and for once in his life, he shut up.

"While you were out, we listen on a few conversations that made us suspicious of Harry not being so much of a Don as we used to think, – She informed him, going through the notes on his pad. – You said it yourself. The Gagliano's hierarchical structure differed a lot from the traditional mob ranks. We knew who the capos were and the soldiers, but we never found out who the real underboss was."

Hill played around with the cheap hospital sheets, tugging and pulling it between his fingers. He nodded at what North was saying and, biting on his thumbnail, spoke up.

"We -Coffey and I- took control of the Gagliano family about ten years ago. It was nothing but a run-down family with no real power, and Harry was a nobody. No one gave a shit about some loser Italian-stereotype here in Detroit; This is not New York! ...So taking over his operation was simple. We got the cover-up of an Italian family, and Harry gladly agreed to play the role of Don while Coffey and I did the dirty work."

"I don't get it. Even if what you say is true, why would you accept?" Richard insisted.

"You don't get it, do you? How long have you been trying to nail Harry and found jack shit on him? How many manhours have you wasted trying to apprehend a man that does nothing but sit on his fat ass, snort cocaine, and hit hookers? Of course you wouldn't find nothing!... There wasn't nothing to begin with!" He coughed and doubled over; the coughing fit made him gag again.

Richard moistened his lips with his tongue, feeling his mouth dry up like every time he felt nervous. He clenched his fists and shared a look of trepidation with North before talking.

"You put Harry on the top so we would focus on him… instead of you."

"Yeah, just an act. People love to believe in movies, Detective, me too. As a kid, I loved _The Godfather_ and _Goodfellas_ ; I saw 'em hundreds of times. But we weren't Corleone; we were just street thugs, and we dealt drugs. With Harry on the front, we gain support from the other families… and we grew."

Richard stood still, not moving, not even blinking. His jaw was so tight that his lips had become a thin line. North's reaction was the complete opposite, growling under her breath and slamming her fist on the small side table.

"Fuck off, Hill! This is bullshit, complete bullshit! Nines, this cannot be true... right, Nines?" she turned, expecting to find him with the same pissed-off expression as her, but found him staring straight ahead.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back," the man mumbled and, to North's complete surprise, stumbled towards the exit in a daze. Jackie almost crashed into him, but Nines didn't even try to dodge him. 

  
She ran behind him, barely catching up with him on the inner courtyard.

"Richard, are you okay?" the woman asked, approaching him with worry in her eyes. Nines smoked with his back to her, sitting on the stone steps that led to the courtyard. He did not turn around when called.

The younger officer opened her mouth to call him again but closed it since she wasn't sure what to say. She decided to keep quiet instead, sitting next to him and stealing side-glances at the silent man. Richard appeared normal, awfully so. He finished the smoke and lit another.

"… Nines-"

"I'm sorry, North. I should've believed you when you told me you were suspicious of Harry Gagliano. If I hadn't been so narrowminded, perhaps all of this could have been avoided. We've had enough evidence to jail Coffey for months, but we waited… No, I wanted to wait. I screwed up. Those deaths are on me and-”

"Oh, shut the fuck up already! – North barked, taking the man by surprise, making him turn to face her. – Do you wanna feel sorry for yourself? Go ahead, whine all you want, but it won't solve a thing. Yes, we screwed up, and they played us like dumbasses... but we gotta get this motherfucker more than ever."

"Yes, but-"

"I said, SHUT UP!... look, I get it. You're pissed because you've been outsmarted-"

"I've been outsmarted before," he countered a bit ashamed.

"Oh, yeah? By whom? That Dowland guy? …Sure, but you considered him worthy, don't you? No, you're pissed because someone who you consider inferior played you like an idiot. And that's something you can't stand… can you, Nines? That some stupid, lowlife thug made you look like a moron."

Richard's face lit up in anger, scowling and turning his mouth into a hostile grimace. But he knew she was right, and that in part made him pull back and growl softly instead of barking at her. His cheeks were bright red, both anger and embarrassment.

North waited a moment, letting her words sink in as she looked at the water pooling under her boots from the melted snow. She sighed heavily and folded her hands over her lap.

"Look, it sucks… I know; take it from a person that had fucked up way too many times. You can whine all you want, but the only way of setting things right is by going back and doing your job!" she paused for a second, noting she had raised her voice so loud that some correctional officers were staring at her and whispering.

Richard still seemed lost, looking at her with doubt in his eyes. She softened her face and smiled.

"We're gonna catch this guy, Nines; that's all we gotta do. He'll get life without parole for the murders, and Stern will be so happy she'll promote you to sergeant on the spot. So relax... let's go back and get Hill to tell us everything. Okay, big guy?"

Richard stared at her for a long while, so long that North began to get nervous that he might enter into meltdown again. But to her surprise, he just smiled fondly, putting his hand over her forearm.

"Thanks North."

“Hey, we’re friends, aren’t we?... we are together in this shithole” she smiled back, patting his back and letting her hand lingered a little in a mid-hug. Richard nodded; they were friends. 

"Let's go back to Hill… see if we can get anything else out from him."

When they returned to the medical ward, Jackie refused to let them in. It was after some serious conversation, threats, and finally bribery that North managed to convince the nurse to allow them to speak to the suspect again. 

Anthony was sitting on the edge of the bed, a little more composed than before. He held the plastic cup on his hands, taking small sips as an almost obsolete monitor took his pulse and blood pressure.

"Mr. Hill, do you feel better?" Richard asked, reading the digital numbers on the device.

"Not really, – he replied with a side-smile, setting the cup down on the side table– I've been thinking about what you asked me, Detective; about where Coffey might be… and I've got an idea."

Both officers perked up, North even taking a step towards the man.

"Coffey is an extreme person, you dig? All or nothing, white or black… I suppose if he took care of Shark already, he might try to dispatch everyone else. Scorching the earth, kind of thing. – He paused for a moment and sighed again, taking off the blood pressure cuff to lie down– If I were you, I'd keep an eye on the border and the other one on Harry."

"We will. Is there anything else?" said Nines, his mind a thousand miles away, planning a way of inspecting each border crossing.

"Yeah…– The man hesitated for a moment, scratching the uneven white stubble growing on his cheeks – There's a soldier of ours. He and Coffey were close; Coffey liked him, and not in a good way, you know? … He might go after him if he didn't already."

"Can you give us this man's name?" asked the female officer, scribing in her notepad.

"Reed… Gavin Reed." 

North's pencil stopped mid-sentence and stared back at the man with apprehension, then turning to look for Nines' reaction.

"Cut a deal with the boy. He's a good kid; he has a family and all… Please, find him before Coffey does." 

Something in Hill's voice sounded sincere; It might just be companionship or even a sense of duty towards the man he thought had saved his life, but Hill actually seemed to mean what he said.

"We'll keep an eye out" Richard nodded politely and walked away, North trailing behind him, looking over her shoulder to the dead man walking and his last noble action.

  
\--------------------------------------

Date:  
 _ **NOV 11th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
 _PM **08:34** :36_

Gavin opened his eyes and ended his stasis with a heavy and unnecessary sigh.

Sleeping, or the android equivalent to that, had become a habit to him. It made the time pass faster, and he felt a little more at ease once he woke up, partly because of the defragmentation of his memory, but perhaps also because of the psychological implication of resting.

He got up from where he had been hiding -curled up in a corner with his knees to his chest and his head resting over them- and stretched. He didn't know at the time, but most android tended to hide in small places (like closets, attics, and lockers) when stressed or afraid. That behavior would still be studied years later.

He stumbled, looking down at his replacement leg with annoyance. Although it fit him, it wasn't exactly compatible with his model, and his damaged socket made it a bit unstable. He tapped his foot against the ground until it lodged back into place with a sharp snap. Not a good omen.

  
He descended to the first floor. The two other androids were already there, standing in the hallway of Gavin's rundown hideout.

"You guys ready?" he greeted.

"As ready as we can be," Markus smiled nervously, squeezing Carl's shoulder softly. Gavin nodded and took Markus' papers, carefully inspecting the forgery. Not even he could tell they were fake, and a human wouldn't even bat an eye.

"Okay, I've been out about four times already, surveying the place. There's an open route through Harrison street, two blocks east from here; then we'll have to turn south to the bus terminal. I'll escort you there. - "

"This isn't the faster route, Gavin…" Markus interrupted with a hint of distress in his voice, looking back at him with furrowed brows.

"Look, I know… but it's the safest. I calculated and evaluated all the other options – he insisted, a little defensive. He was an investigative android! pre-constructing was his thing – You have a better chance of getting there through Harrison street, and you'll have at least 10 minutes before the bus leaves."

"… that doesn't give us much time."

"Shit, at least you'll be alive to get to Canada!" Gavin replied, raising his voice a little. Markus frowned, looking gravely back at Gavin as Carl clutched tighter to the taller android's leg.

"Sorry, - he grunted, biting his lip. - Look, I know it isn't perfect, but trust me. You will have a better chance of reaching the terminal alive if we take this route. If you go straight through Woodward avenue, you'll get caught. We're wasting time, Markus; we gotta get moving!"

"I suppose you're right…– Markus huffed a little but finally relented. He crouched next to Carl, and in a more loving and relaxed way, said – Let's go, Carl. Gavin will help us, okay?"

"Stay close to me and let me do the talking," Gavin instructed, checking out the window one last time. He was keeping himself offline, hoping it would be enough to keep the FBI from tracking him down. 

He moved the furniture obstructing the entrance and motioned them to move.

"Markus, I can only communicate with you through shortwave, so stay sharp … and Carl, Uhh, don't let go of Markus' hand, okay?"

Carl nodded with the most serious expression a kid his age could make, making Gavin laugh a little.

He was scared, he had to admit it; he had never been more scared in his short life. 

Outside was mayhem, fucking _chaos_.   
While on stake-out, he had seen troops of soldiers marching the streets, groups of vigilantes rounding up androids and lynching them, setting them on fire, doing things he had only heard of in times of war and famine. He wished he could’ve saved them all.

But now it was dark enough to go outside, a little calmer too.   
He scoured the streets for any patrolling officers, buses, or drones, and not finding any, climbed down the building. Markus and Carl stayed close behind, walking down the streets by hiding in the shadows and alleys, following every step Reed took and waiting for his signal to move.

He climbed a chain-link fence waiting on the other side for them to join him, before realizing that Carl may be too short to do so. But to his surprise, Markus and Carl had devised a way to keep up with him, the little android climbing onto his back when they had to navigate complicated roads.

He stared at them as Carl climbed off Markus' back, the AX400 ruffling his hair playfully.

Of all the interactions he had seen between androids, this was new to him. Markus had taken the role of father figure for this android child, protecting him, caring for him. And on the other hand, Carl seemed to trust and love the other back. It looked natural.

Sadly, the police report painted a completely different story, starting with the misconception that Carl was a human.

_NAME: Carl Manfred_   
_SEX: male_   
_RACE. White EYES: Blue HAIR: Brown._   
_HEIGHT: 4 ft WEIGHT: 70_   
_AGE: 9 years old._   
_Last seen on: 11/06/2038. Camden, Detroit. MI. Carl was abducted from his residence at 4203 Harrison Street, North Corktown, Detroit. He was wearing a purple jacket, denim jeans, and black boots. Last seen in the company of a model AX400 android, serial number #579 102 694. This android is considered DEVIANT and extremely dangerous […]_

He could understand why the case had been assigned to Hank and Anderson. A human child abducted by a deviant android, a grieving father pleading for the safe return of his son and all in the midst of the deviant crisis. It screamed a high-profile case.  
But there was more than meets the eye.

Leo Manfred, Carl's supposed father, had a rap sheet as long as the loans he had taken with the Gagliano family. Virtually unemployed, heavy red ice user, and small-time dealer (though most of the time, he smoked it himself instead of selling it), Manfred was the kind of scum Gavin had been forced to associate with in his undercover job.

He had met him, though briefly, some weeks ago. Coffee had beat the living shit out of him.

Comparatively, Markus' caring and sweet demeanor towards Carl seemed the complete opposite. This android was ten times better father than Manfred, no doubt about it.   
He wondered if that were something humans would even fathom, an android playing the role of father.

He thought about it, about himself, but the idea struck him too odd. He couldn't even keep himself unharmed, let alone another thing. Nope! He definitely wasn't dad material.

  
"Hey, Gavin. Did you find…?" Markus began, seeming to run out of words or strength mid-sentence. Gavin turned around to look at him, hiding behind a crashed garbage truck.

"No ... at least not in my scouting. Which, you know, may be for the best." He forced a smile that the other tried to reciprocate; but finally opted to just nod and then hide his face, keeping Carl closer than necessary.

"You two close?" 

"Simon helped us scape from a horrible man named Zlatko, – Carl chimed in before his guardian could answer; the first time he had spoken to him spontaneously. – … and he has helped us along the way. He's our friend; right, Markus?" said the boy, with the seriousness of a grown-up.

Gavin knew CyberLife had programmed android kids to emulate the demeanor of human children- their naivety, playfulness, and loving nature. But they're androids after all, with the world knowledge in the blink of an eye.  
Or so he thought. It was a strange thing to ponder on.

"Yes, he is our friend..." Markus acknowledged, flushing discretely.

"Simon may look skinny, but he's really strong, Gavin! I'm sure he's somewhere around here – The kid had taken Gavin's hand in his smaller one, clasping it, making him stall and look at the boy in the eyes– …When you find him, can you tell him to meet us in Canada? We'll be waiting for him."

"Hey, kid… there's a chance your friend is-" he trailed off, nervously.

"I know... – A bitter smile appeared on his face, again giving a somehow strange mature appearance to his young face– but we have to believe he's alright… We promised."

Gavin squeezed the kid's hand instantaneously, his LED reappearing for half a second in response to his distress, before concealing again under his protocol. Somehow, the little android's words had reinstalled some bravery in him.

  
"WHO'S THERE!?" A shout broke the silence of the cold night, making the three androids hid behind a corner. Markus' hand clasped over Carl's mouth to muffle any noise.

“Show yourself!”

The beam of a flashlight scouted the alleyway, illuminating the perimeter and finally landing on them. Gavin stepped out, hands upraised, as the light stopped over his face, blinding his optical unit momentarily.

"Hey! Don't shoot… I'm Gavin Reed, DPD detective!" he exclaimed, stepping forward into the light; Markus and Carl took shelter behind his figure.

The light was lowered, revealing the silhouette of a police officer standing a few feet away, with his gun in one hand and the flashlight in the other.

"Show me your badge!"

"Jesus Christ, is this a joke? – Gavin grunted, slowly lowering his hand into his jacket pocket to take out his badge, throwing it to the officer who bent down to retrieve it, still aiming at them – There, see? I'm from the first, Amanda Stern's precinct."

The police officer seemed to doubt, looking at him and then to the other two.

"Who-who's with ya'!?" he yelled, walking towards them with calculated steps. 

Gavin scanned him. Being offline meant he could only access the records of police personal, as they were included in his default memory to prevent any friendly-fire accidents.

_COOPER, SHANE. Born 05/16/2016 // Police officer, badge n° 2621; 8th precinct// criminal record: None._

A rookie... a rookie whose last name was Cooper, and was a cop. Gavin contained a laugh and stepped towards him with a friendly smirk.

"You are from the 8th? Then you must know Detective Kent… he's my partner." Some realization must've struck the rookie's head because he straightened up, lowering his weapon.

"Detective Richard Kent?"

"Yup. I don't think he'd be happy to know you're pointing a gun at his partner without even asking for names, with the safety still on, and with the gun _under_ the flashlight. Is that supposed to be a Harries hold?... Seriously kid, are they letting recruits out in the streets without basic gun training?"

"I- I'm sorry sir, – the rookie stuttered, promptly inverting the order of the things in his hands. Gavin's stress decreased by 20% – It's- it's my first patrol. I-I… please-"

"Wow, calm down kid… I ain't gonna report you or anything. Can I have my badge back?"

"Sure!" Officer Cooper said, handing him back his identification without inspecting it properly, which was lucky as hell since his badge did not match his license in the slightest.

"Can we go now, Coop? … gotta get these two back home." Markus and Carl stepped into the light, with nervous smiles.

"Of course, sir! Have a good night-“

"ROOKIE! What are you doing down there?!" Another voice, already known to Gavin, broke the precarious tranquility of the three fugitives.

Another officer stepped into the alleyway, realization hitting his face as soon as his eyes landed on Gavin's face.

  
_Daniel, please… please! don't say anything…_

  
Officer Daniel Phillips, the same officer who was part of the RITF, stared at him with his mouth closed and tight, his blue eyes glaring at him.

"This is detective Reed, sir! From your precinct! … I was just about to scan him and his-" he turned to the other two people behind Gavin, realizing he hadn't got an answer as to whom they were.

"He's my brother-in-law and his kid. They're going back to Canada," Gavin replied, his eyes not leaving Daniel's, locked in a silent plea. Markus stepped forward and handed Cooper his documentation.

"Everything seems to be in order, Mr. Markus ... I just need to scan you, and you'll be good to go." Cooper smiled, proud of his professionalism, unaware of AX's sudden panic.

"It's okay, rookie… leave Detective Reed alone," Daniel pipped in suddenly, smiling at Gavin.

"But, sir… the instruction is to-"

"Come on, Cooper ... trust me. You don't want to get on this guy's bad side. Right, Reed?"

"You make me sound like an asshole, Daniel – Gavin smiled, his body not showing how much fear had been washed away by Daniel's complicity – ...so, can we go? Carl here is freezing to death."

"Sure thing. Hey, Reed… Can I have a word with you?" Daniel said, gesturing him to step a little further away. He nodded, instructing Markus by shortwave to remain calm, that the blond-haired officer was a friend.

  
They walked toward the entrance to the alley, next to the squad car, far enough away that Cooper couldn't hear them.

"Daniel, I… I can't even begin to thank you-"

"It's okay, I think this makes us even for running you over with my squad. – The other smiled, nervously; He was clearly terrified of what he was doing. – … Gavin, there's something I have to tell you."

"What's wrong? Is Nines okay?" he asked, suddenly frightened by the grim expression the usually warm officer had now.

"Nines is fine, he'll be glad to know you're too; he's been worried sick. – Daniel smiled, and Gavin felt his face flush a little – It's Lieutenant Anderson; He's missing, and no one knows where he is. The last time anyone saw him was with Hank. Do you know anything about it? Is Hank… dangerous?" Daniel asked carefully.

"No! Hank is- Hank is fine, – he replied immediately. Anderson was missing? Shit, after Hank's confession about Connor's suicide tendencies, it was only logical to be worried about him. – I have no idea where he could be, does Nines know?"

"Not yet. Captain Stern was about to call him…"

"I… you think-? Coffey?" he rambled, suddenly dawning on him the horrible possibility that the drug lord had finally followed through on his threats towards the former RITF commanding officer.

Daniel shook his head.

"We don't know… and there's no manpower to look into it."

"How long has it been since someone last saw him?"

"About 4 hours… "

"And that dipshit is gonna run down the street like a lunatic trying to find him as soon as he finds out… ain't he?” Gavin ran a hand over his face, on the verge of losing it.

"It's probable, you know him..."

"Jesus fucking Christ…" Gavin mumbled under his breath, with his face still against his palms.

"Gavin, you just keep yourself alive… okay? – Daniel muttered, glancing over his shoulder at the rookie in his care. Cooper was chatting with Carl, having to crouch down as he was basically a 6.4-foot-scarecrow. – There's a roadblock down Michigan avenue, you better take another way…"

"Thanks, Daniel…" he mumbled, patting him on the shoulder as he turned back to Markus and Carl. The older one looked nervous, staring between Officer Cooper and Gavin.

"Let's go, rookie! We still have a lot of ground to cover!" Daniel called, getting back into his squad car. 

Cooper smiled brightly at young Carl, probably instructing him about stranger-danger, and trotted quickly behind his training officer before stopping dead on his tracks. He turned around, his sharp brown eyes landing on Gavin again.

“Detective Reed… how did you know my name?” he asked, straight-faced.

“It’s embroidered on your shirt, Coop… I’m a detective, you know?” he laughed, pointing to his chest without losing his smile.

“Shit, you are right… – Cooper laughed nervously, turning pink from embarrassment and touching the name tag on his chest. – Sorry sir; Have a good night.”

“See you around, Cooper,” Gavin said, turning and ushering the other two away before sensing the dim light of a scanner over him. He looked back through the corner of his eye.

Cooper was staring closely at the thermal scanner on his hand, then something appeared on the screen, and Cooper giggled with relief, apparently satisfied with the answer. He turned around and followed Daniel into the squad car.

"That was close. Thank you, Gavin," Markus uttered, heading back down the alley and away from Michigan Avenue.

"Don't even mention it," he replied, still feeling on edge. At least now he knew thermal scanners did not work on him.

  
They moved quickly down the street, as Gavin recalculated a new route. He was running fast, a bit erratically, with his mind elsewhere. So much so that Markus had trouble keeping up with him, having to get Carl on his back once more.

"Hey, hey! Gavin, wait up... did something happen?" Markus stopped him by grabbing his arm. The AX400 was remarkably strong; he almost made the much lighter Gavin fall on his ass.

He turned to snap at him, but found the taller android looking him with a worried face. Carl had a similar expression, though more akin to nervousness.

"A… friend of mine, my partner… he's in trouble," he mumbled without meeting his eyes.

"He's human… he'll be alright," Markus tried to calm him, squeezing his arm, and then descending through a fire-escape to the street below them.

"Yeah…" Gavin tried to agree, lingering a little behind.

  
"Markus!" Carl's stifled yelp startled them both, immediately hiding behind the taller android as he pointed towards the street to the other side of the building.

The commotion came from down the street where, at the cul-de-sac, a motorcycle turned in circles surrounded by some five or six men cheering on.   
Under closer inspection, it was clear what the excitement was all about.

Tied by the neck to the rear of the motorcycle with a chain, was an android, his hands struggling with the collar in a desperate attempt to free himself as they dragged him down the street. The pavement had a sickly blue tint.

"Markus!" Carl whined again, hiding his face against his shirt.

"Close your eyes, kiddo…" the AX400 mumbled as Gavin landed next to him, getting the full view of what was happening. He regretted not taking taken a gun when Hank had offered.

“What is wrong with these people…?” Markus exclaimed, his green eyes acquiring a feral look as they narrowed in anger.

"They don't believe we really are living things ... or maybe they’re just plain evil."

“We-we have to do something…they’re going to kill him.”

Gavin thought about it; Markus was more than capable of helping him, but that meant leaving Carl unprotected. No, it was too risky.

"You two go; make your way through Trumbull avenue, and don't let the drones see you. You should be able to go straight to the bus station from there," Gavin instructed, pulling Richard's knife out of his back pocket.

"What are you going to do?" Markus stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"I can't just turn my back to him…" 

The roaring of the motorcycle stopped. A new man had appeared, and the others gathered around him as if waiting for instructions. The android lay motionless on the thirium-stained road.

"You sure you can get to the-?"

“Don't worry about us, we will be okay... Go help him, - Markus assured- No killing, Gavin…" he added as an afterthought.

He nodded reluctantly.

"Let me know when you get to Canada…send a picture or something," he mumbled to Carl, trying to pull a smile for the kid.

"We will!” the little one assured him, giving Gavin a hug. Markus patted his arm.

“Thank you, Gavin… take care.” 

He didn't wait to see them go. He ran off, following the motorcycle that had fired up again and was heading to the intersection with Michigan Avenue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Markus and Carl gain some screen time! Sadly, Simon isn't in the picture. And some small plot twist for you all... I like spinning things around.
> 
> Also, I don't know if a said this before, but every location described in this fic is accurate. You can go look it on google maps if you like! Have some fun.
> 
> PS: Cooper is a cinnamon bun.


	17. Recall Center N°4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to help a wounded android, Gavin finds himself in a dangerous situation which he must escape before its too late.  
> Nines takes an important decision, questioning his own hidden feelings.
> 
> This chapter contains: violence against androids, holocaust allusions.

Date:  
_**NOV 11th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **07:15** :00_

The car, a very used and crashed self-driving 2035 model, was parked a few blocks from the precinct. The dim light of the lamppost showed two people sitting inside it, quiet, the taller one slightly hunched forward and with its head resting on the dashboard.

"He was with Hank?"

"Yeah... well, I'm quite sure it was him, though dressed differently," he explained, still holding the styrofoam cup in his hands even though it no longer had coffee.  
She had forbidden him to smoke in her car, so he'd been anxiously pecking at the rim of the cup with his fingernails, trying to distract himself.

"So… he survived the sinking." North followed that statement with a deep sigh of relief, leaning back on the car seat as she threw her head back, running her hands over her face and hair.

He nodded in response.

"Thank God, Nines ... I thought he was a goner. After what they showed on the news? The explosion, the searchlights, and... th-the bodies fished from the river!"

“I thought so too.”

“... I even tried calling him, you know?"

Nines turned to her, surprised, and she just shrugged. They shared a knowing laugh.

"He was fine as far as I could tell, but Perkins was breathing down my neck, so it wasn't like I had a lot of room to catch up. He and Hank ran away, and I had to…” He paused, biting his lower lip. “Let's say Connor is not the only Anderson on the FBI's blacklist."  
North chuckled a bit, albeit tiredly. 

Her sandwich lay unfinished over her lap; Nines had barely touched his.  
The long commute from the DDC had tired them both. They had worked relentlessly, pondering on all the possible repercussions of what Hill had confessed to them, as the self-driving car made its way back into the city.

  
The assistant DA wasn't very thrilled by Nines' call, interrupting his lunch to request search warrants for all Harry's Gagliano's properties in the Big Lakes area. On the other hand, Richard wasn't happy either when the DA utterly refused to process the arrest warrant on the Gagliano family.

"We are in the midst of a civil war, Kent… and you want a god-dammed warrant on a mobster? Do you think a judge would give a shit at this point? Put on your fucking uniform and go kill some androids instead of wasting my time."

Nines had hanged up before North could grab his phone and speak her mind; that would've cost them their badges.

By the end of their trip, they had found themselves without any support from the judicial system, their case drifting away in the chaos of the civil war.   
Naturally, they felt defeated.

  
North retrieved the sandwich from her lap and unwrapped it a bit more, taking a small bite, which was quite unusual for her. The man looked at her for a moment and, inspired by her appetite, decided to do the same. He found himself starving; his body had been so focused on the job that he had pushed his hunger to the back of his mind.

He ate half of it before realizing that North had turned her seat towards him, twisting a lock of hair in her fingers as she usually did when weighing something.

"What is the matter, North?" He asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin and then carefully folding it over his lap. Good habits die hard.

She snorted and rested her cheek over her palm, staring at him.

"You've changed, Richard…." 

"I don't feel any different," he retorted with a raised eyebrow, biting down on his sandwich again. North leaned a little closer.

"I didn't like you at first. When you were first transferred to the precinct last year, I had just been demoted, and I was still very resentful about it. And then you came along! All self-entitled homicide detective, with a college degree and FBI credentials, walking into my precinct and telling me what to do.” She shook her head and snorted again, smiling. “... you were insufferable; bossy, stuck up, and stubborn ... you still are. "

Richard swallowed the bite of sandwich and opened his mouth to say something in his defense, but she silenced him by raising a hand.

"… but maybe you're not such an ass as I originally thought."

"Oh, uh... Thank you?" He snorted, his lips curving into a smile.

"Sorry I snapped at you at the DCC."

"It's okay, I needed that; I guess I am a dick sometimes," he joked, making North burst out in laughter. He interpreted that as a friendship declaration… or sort of.

  
After all that happened, that small car felt like a break from everything, a space to rest and regroup.

"There is something else I must tell you, North." 

He had thought long and hard about it, as it was technically not his place to tell, but he had come to the conclusion that Collins would understand and perhaps even shed some light on the subject.

"Graff came by the station yesterday... He is Gavin's creator."   
"Gav told me about him… but I couldn't tell you if he is an overly-protective father figure or a jealous ex-boyfriend. He talked about him as if he were both."

"Yeah, as disturbing as it may sound, I guess Graff is a mixture of those two.” He turned his nose with displeasure, and she mimicked the gesture though much more exaggerated. “Anyway, he said something to me that at first didn't make much sense, but as outlandish at it may sound, it's true…"

North frowned, turning his seat towards her, so they were facing each other. Richard took a moment to organize the idea in his mind; he wanted to make it as clear as possible in one go.

"He explained to me that Gavin's coding is unique because he never intended him to be a commercial model. Making him an infiltration android was more of an afterthought when CyberLife started to question why he was spending so much time and resources on a model that didn't have a real market purpose."

"So, he made Gavin to be…?" She let the idea unfinished, waiting for Nines to continue; the detective shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I'm not entirely sure, maybe as a personal assistant or a… partner."

"His sex-toy?... Jesus fuck, that disgusting! What the hell is wrong with him?" North exclaimed, really upset by the idea.

"Calm down, North. I don't think that's what he was aiming for, or not exclusively. There's something else...” He paused as North settled back into her seat, still visibly upset. “He designed him to be able to perfectly copy human emotions. He was trying to demonstrate that deviancy was just abnormal programming, an emulation of human responses, and not genuine emotions."

"You're losing me here, Nines…"

"You remember when I first met Reed, and he acted like a fucking asshole, and you said he was stuck on his tough-guy mode? Well, you weren't wrong; he was programmed to act like that… like _if_ he was a deviant."

Realization struck on North's face like a dash of water, dissolving every grimace she had been showing, every expression line on her lips and eyebrows, leaving just her shocked blank face.

"Gavin's not a deviant?... that's what you're implying?"

He took a moment, sagging his head between his shoulder and taking in a long drag of air.

"No, Gavin is not a deviant. The only rule in his program is no to get destroyed; therefore, the only way he could deviate is by killing himself. And before you start telling me that he has feelings, and loves animals, I know! I told him the same thing! Because -frankly- I didn't want to believe it either... not because I was upset about being fooled, okay? No! I just couldn't accept that he wasn't-

"Free…."

"Yeah…. Exactly."

  
They fell silent again, inside the poorly lit car. Maybe it would have been better to talk about it in his apartment, away from prying eyes, but it was too late now.

"You love him, don't you?” North asked in a soft, understanding murmur. He stayed quiet. “… or at least, you care about him."

He nodded.

North crossed one leg over the other and looked out the window, holding her chin and twisting that rebel lock of hair on her finger. Richard wanted to know what she was thinking, wanted her to speak, and tell him something; but the generally loud and outspoken woman remained silent. He stared down at his shoes.

When North spoke again, her voice was so soft it almost lost itself in the clamor of the city night.

"You slept together…" 

"He told you?!" He snapped suddenly, blushing furiously and looking at her with big shocked eyes. 

The other detective burst out laughing but then covered her mouth with her hand to pipe down a bit, as her laughter had made her partner cringe in embarrassment.

"You just confirmed it! Jesus, BAU… that's interrogation 101!"

Nines whined, hiding his face in his palms, but couldn't do the same with his flushed ears.

"…How did you know?"

"That's harsh, man… I'm a detective too, you know? Plus, you came to work brighter than a ray of sunshine, with a fresh hickey on your neck and smiling at Gavin! You don't have to be Nancy Drew to figure out what had happened between you two."

He whined again, more loudly this time, and slid down the seat.

"Calm down, Richard... I think it's cute that you two are together."

"We are not together! We are- We just-…” He groaned again, grasping at his hair. “God, this is a nightmare.”

“You regret it?"

“No! But it's -I don't know- unprofessional? Besides, we work together and-"

"Who the fuck cares?!” North insisted, striking him a little hard on the side. His injured rib reminded him immediately of his precarious health condition, and Richard huffed in pain. “If that motherfucker of the DA is right in one thing is that everything is going to hell, might as well break a few rules… and sleeping with your partner seems to be the smallest you have broken lately, isn't it so?"

He pondered for a second, about everything North had said in the last 20 minutes. How he was a self-entitled son-of-a-bitch, how he had changed, and broken the law in favor of helping who he believed where being unfairly oppressed... How he might even be developing feelings for the android.  
It was a lot to take in, especially for someone so emotionally crippled as him.

"If it makes it easier for you, I won't tell anyone about it, alright?" 

"This is new to me…"

"The _I'm-a-living-thing-and-I-have-feelings_ part? I guessed so… and this Armageddon ain't making things simpler either." She breathed out, staring through the window once again. 

"Come on, let's go… the precinct must be empty by now," Richard said, taking his jacket and exiting the vehicle.

All of Nines's problems or doubts seemed insignificant compared to the Battle of Detroit, but were still important to him. And having talk with North about all the things running wild inside his head made him feel a little better.

  
When they arrived back to the precinct, dragging their feet and covered in snow, he wasn't really concerned to find it almost deserted, the only light being Stern's glass castle.

They walked silently to Nines's terminal, pulling out the information they had gathered from months of looking into the Gagliano case, trying to figure out how deep Coffey and Hill's scam went.   
Now, isolated murders and strange cases finally seemed to fit into the crisscrossing web that was unraveling in front of them. And it was big, bigger than they had expected. 

From racketeering to contract killing, the Gagliano family –or more appropriately now, the Coffey-Hill hoax– had ties to Chicago, Cleveland, and even Toronto, reaching far beyond the Great Lakes area.

They stared at their board, nearly no space left in it to pin any more information.

"Nines, we should call Major Case Squad… and maybe the feds," North muttered, staring at the countless connections their case had, like roots sprouting in different directions across the U.S, burying deeply inside the dark tunnels of the red ice traffic.

Her commanding officer just let out a heavy sigh, scratching his eyebrow as he stared into the terminal once again.

"No one will listen to us right now ..."

"I can't blame them."

"No, neither do I… This is big, but not as big as a civil war,” Richard replied, saving the files into the case folder and renaming it. “I'll forward this to the DEA… maybe someone will eventually notice it and give us a call. Until then, there's not much else we-"

"Kent, Collins… come here." Stern's voice broke the silence so unexpectedly that North let out a squeal of surprise, turning towards the glass castle with wide eyes. Neither of them had imagined their captain could be in her office at this hour.

"Come on, North,” whispered Nines, pressing his hand lightly to the small of her back to make her move, but she refused. “It's okay… I'll take full responsibility. No one is going to take your badge away, I promise," assured the detective, giving her fond smile as he climbed the stair to their captain's office.

Amanda waited by the door. Her hair was loose, grey curls framing her tired face as her glasses slid down her nose. She took a look at Nines and sighed heavily.

"Collins, stay outside… I'll speak to you tomorrow."

"Ma'am, Richard did nothing wrong, he-!" she tried to intervene, but Amanda hushed her with a quick gesture of her hand. The senior officer turned and entered the office, closely followed by Richard, who kept his head upright, stoic, and determined. North gave him one last look before the door closed.

At first she said nothing, taking a seat not at her desk but on the couch. He followed and sat next to her, waiting for her to speak first. It felt a bit like his last year in high school, when the principal called him into his office in one last effort to understand why he was about to expel who was once his best student.  
But back then, he was a moody teenager in a rebel phase. A lot of things had changed in fifteen years.

"I got a call from FBI Special Agent Perkins," she began, turning to face him. “About the ‘other Anderson’ that popped by the Jericho shipwreck looking for a suspect."

He tried not to wince at the ‘other Anderson’ remark; It was not the first time he was called that, and there were more pressing issues to pay attention to.

"Your brother had already punched him in the nose the day before, so you can guess he wasn't very thrilled when you seemingly failed to catch two deviant droids fleeing the scene," he summed up in a neutral tone, not a single emotion reflected in her face. She used to be the best at interrogation back in her detective days.

"I'm sorry; it wasn't my intention to cause you problems with the feds, Amanda." 

She sighed heavily and, suddenly, her poker face crumbled; She held her forehead tiredly, taking her glasses and leaving them on the table.  
Only then he noticed that a pack of cigarettes was already there, crumpled up and next to a half-full ashtray. He didn't know she smoked.

"What were you doing, Richard?! You're suspended! … Or is it that you voluntarily misheard my orders and do what you want despite the risk? Putting Collins on the line too?” She banged her hand hard on the coffee table out in frustration. "For God's sake, Richard! What if something happens to you? ... I can't keep protecting you!"

Amanda Stern, despite being a hardened captain with the ability to make decisions coldly and effectively, also was very protective of her subordinates. The type of woman who was the first to raise money for widows, for school tuitions, or sick officers.  
And she had, in secret, a bias in favor of Connor and his younger brother, often overlooking the former's misbehaviors.

But Richard Kent? Richard had never supposed a problem for her. He had been the perfect detective since he arrived at the precinct sixteen months ago. Not a single complaint, always in time, working his ass off. The only bad thing she had to say about him and that she'd written down in his performance review, was his inability to trust others and work as a team. That had earned him a bad reputation amongst its peers and had become an issue in the last months she had yet to address.

However, the man she had received in July 2027 was far from the one now sitting across from her. She only wished it were under different circumstances.

  
"I'm taking your badge and your gun, effective immediately…" she murmured, not capable of looking him in the eyes any longer.

"I understand,” he replied, more composed than he had imagined he would be “Thank you, Amanda, and… I'm sorry." 

"Are you?" she countered, raising her head with her eyes tired and sad.

He pondered about it, while taking his badge out of his belt and the gun from his shoulder holster, leaving it over the coffee table.

"I am sorry to have disappointed you, but what I did was correct; my conscience wouldn't be at ease if I hadn't," he said, looking her in the eyes and hoping her detective mind could fill the gaps in his statement.   
Amanda swallowed hard and nodded, taking his hand and patting it gently.

"I'll wait until everything calms down to send the… papers. Until then, don't get in any more trouble; you are no longer a police officer."  
  
"Please leave North out of this. She has nothing to do with the docks incident… don't punish her because of me."

"I won't fire her, if that's your concern," she muttered, releasing his hand and walking to the door, silently forcing him out. She couldn't take it anymore.

North was still waiting near the office, nervously twisting her hair in her fingers. When the door opened, and Nines walked out, she quickly made her way to him. Amanda closed the door before the detective could notice the strange gesture on her face.

"What happened?"

"I surrendered my gun and badge,” he explained tiredly, walking down the steps to the bullpen as he loosened his tie.

"Richard, Richard! Wait!” She called, running after him. “Come on, are you going to let this happen?"

"It's okay, North; I was prepared for something like this to happen... I knew the risks, and I went ahead and did it anyway" He smiled, standing face to face with her on the outside stairs. A thin powder snow began to fall, covering their shoulders and glowing under the white lights.

"But-... it isn't fair," she exclaimed.

"Don't worry, she won't fire you; I made sure." His gloved hand, big and comforting, wrapped gently around her arm.

"I don't care,” she mumbled, her emotions getting the better of her once again. If she could only explain to Amanda what Richard was doing, she was sure she could make her change her mind about firing the tall detective. “There must be something else we can do, maybe if we go directly to the DEA-"

"No, North…it's over. You'll only get in more troubles, and nothing good will come if we both lose our badges,” he said seriously, reverting to the stern attitude of a commanding officer. “Go home, get a good night's sleep."

"What are you gonna do?" she wanted to cry but made a great effort not to. It wouldn't make Richard change his mind and would only make a fool of herself, crying out of frustration like a toddler.

"Go straight home, North… call your sister. We'll be in contact." Richard smiled and, unexpectedly, pulled her into his arms, giving her a tight and awkward hug, stepping away before she could reciprocate.

"Hey! Hey, Nines! … Where are you going?! Don't do anything stupid, please." She tried to reach for him as he trotted down the steps in a hurry.

"I won't!" Richard's voice was swallowed by the roaring of the busy city, his tall figure disappearing through the corner of a nearby street, running away quickly before she could say anything else.

North worried, what was the detective planning to do?

\-------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 11th** , 2038_   
Time:  
_PM **09:09** :00_

Police cars and drones appeared more frequently the closer he got to downtown Detroit; by now, he couldn't move two streets in a row without having to duck and wait in the shadows, hiding from patrols both civilian and uniformed. As the night wore on, the city grew darker and somber; shouting and gunshots had become one more background noise in his processor.

"Shit, shit, shitshitshitshit…" Gavin cursed under his breath as he darted across the street, barely avoiding a drone that flew right over his head.

  
Honestly, he didn't give two shits about Lieutenant Connor Anderson; but knew that Hank and Richard did. If he was missing, was it possible that he had gone through with killing himself? He could certainly imagine the depressed and alcoholic lieutenant walking to a solitary place - a bridge or a park- and blowing his head off with his revolver. It wasn't a pretty sight to imagine.

He knew Nines good enough to picture how the news must havee hit him.

  
He reached Michigan Av. catching the back of the android's feet as it disappeared into an abandoned parking lot, still escorted by the rioters.  
The lot was poorly lit, but he could distinguish the mob that had lynched that android, chatting excitedly next to a military truck parked in an empty shed. 

One man - apparently their leader- was speaking with a soldier a little further away from them. He couldn't see his face as he had his back to him, just the vague, broad outline of his body.  
How he hated not being able to scan targets for information anymore.

Gavin slipped between two parked cars, peeking over the hood of one to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"A hundred bucks ... that was the deal," the female soldier grunted back at the leader, a fat man carrying a baseball bat.

"Look, princess, this motherfucker is a goddamn sports android! Ya’ know how fast it runs? Had to rope 'im in like a fucking calf in a rodeo," the fat man complained, pointing at the seemingly unconscious android.

The android, a male with bronze skin and white curls, lay on the ground, his baseball uniform covered in blue blood. He still had the chain wrapped around his neck, while two long ropes hogtied him down. Gavin recognized the model, built to play as a pitcher, a BX670.  
Next to him and facing a brick wall was a group of recently deviated commercial models, still in their default uniforms, as if they had just stepped out of a display case at a CyberLife store. One of them lay face down on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blue blood.

"Look, cowboy, I don't give two fucks… you want the money or not?" The soldier snapped back, showing the two bills in her hand. He took them, inspecting them before stuffing them in his back pocket.

"You haven't found the other one?"

"Nah, but we're still looking," the fat man replied, snuffing rudely. "Hey, if ya' find the toaster I'm looking for, my associate will pay ya' real good... We can help each other, ya know, princess?"  
He had a disgusting smile with a bunch of crooked teeth, yellow from smoking ice. 

She disgustedly dismissed him.

"It's not here, that's for sure. We only have a bunch of scrap metal and plastic hookers." She gestured to the truck behind her. Another male voice spoke.

"Hey! How much is your …friend willing to pay?"

Another soldier, younger but not less cruel, stood between the truck and the other androids, smoking a cigarette. It seemed they had interrupted him in the middle of an execution, as he was still holding his rifle pointed at the head of one of them.  
He tossed them the still-lit cigarette and turned to the fat man.

The man turned to him with a broader smile and walked across the parking lot, right in front of Gavin, making him duck and lose visual of them before he could see his face.

"Eight grand, but it has to be alive,” replied the fat man, rattling his teeth as he talked. “You get the droid; I'll put you in contact with him, we go 50/50, what'd ya say?"

"Hey, Bennet!... this ain't your side job," scolded the female soldier, but this so-called Bennet just ignored her.

"60/40; that's enough pay for a middleman," Bennet raised, cocky tone in his voice. He had a curious accent, rural in some way.

"Tell you this; if you find it, ya' can have 55%. What d'you say, ranger?"

"Deal. Call you when I find it." 

There were no conditionals in his statement -no if, only when - the sheer overconfidence of a punk to whom someone had handed a gun before he was even legally able to drink. 

"See you then, ranger."

The fat man laughed loudly, his heavy steps approaching Gavin's hiding spot and away from the truck.

Gavin pressed himself against the concrete wall, not moving an inch as the hunter pass mere steps from him, quietly complaining about the two soldiers and meeting the other members of his gang.  
He waited until they were far enough to approach the truck. It would've been impossible for him to deal with six armed men, but two soldiers? That was more like it.

He poked his head over the hood of the car, watching the two soldiers. They were on the move again, getting the captured androids into the truck to take them to the recall centers. Or at least that should've been their original order, but Bennet seemed to have his own agenda.

Bennet glanced over his shoulder, probably searching for his partner, but she had disappeared into the truck, carrying the tied BX670. He turned and walked to one of the quiet androids lined up against the wall, and then, with the tip of her rifle, tapped one of them between the eyes to get its attention.

"Get moving, freak,” he ordered, but the AX400 just stared at him with terrified eyes, its hands still behind his head. “I said, MOVE!" he repeated, bashing the android's nose with the butt of the rifle, knocking it to the ground on its knees.

"Hey, leave him alone!" one of the others shouted, kneeling to the floor and trying to help the other up. He was a redhaired male, wearing plain clothing; Gavin recognized him from Jericho but didn't know his name. 

“You call us monsters, but have you look at yourself?... you are the freaks!” said this android, giving the soldier a furious look.

The GV200 trotted towards them but halted midway as the sound of two gunshots pierce the cold night air. Those two androids, the terrified AX400 and the redhead one, fell backward to the ground, lifeless.

"Get back, motherfuckers!" the soldier shouted, causing the other three who had attempted to intervene to retreat in fear.

Gavin felt anger blind him, tightening his grip on the butterfly knife as he sneaked towards, him ready to attack. Pacifist approach could suck his dick right now.

"What the fuck was that, Bennet!?" The voice of the female soldier made Gavin stop abruptly and duck back again.

"It's fine, Lisa," he replied, looking behind him as she stepped off the truck. She looked pissed and tired, staring at the two dead androids like a mother that happens upon her kid's mess. "These two threatened me… had to put'em down."

"Jesus, Bennet! Stop wasting bullets!... What if one of these fuckers is on the list? You wanna explain that to the captain?" 

"Please, we will do as you tell us, just don't hurt us," a female voice shouted, raising her hands over her head. Gavin recognized her immediately, it was Tina.

"Just... get those two and throw them in the van; the rest of you, get in there too," Lisa instructed tiredly, motioning with her rifle towards the truck.

Tina stood up, walking with fierce determination towards their fallen companions, lifting one by the arms with difficulty.

“Hey, you! Go help her," Bennet commanded, pointing to the other androids, but no one move. The sound of the rifle being switched to automatic made them flinch again.

"Yes, sir!" An android stepped forward, his white hoodie reflecting the lights from the soldiers' flashlights. Tina recognized him but kept her head down until Gavin was close enough to connect with her via shortwave.

_"You okay?"_

_"Jesus, Gavin… I thought you were dead."_

_"Not yet. Listen, Tina… when I tell you, you'll have to knock out the woman on my right; Hit her right on the temple, and she'll go down. Then duck under the bus."_

_"I am… I can't-"_

_"You'll have to,"_ Gavin insisted, forcing a smile to try to calm her down, as they laid the bodies inside the bus _"GO!"_

Tina seemed to hesitate for a moment before turning to the woman on Gavin's right. The soldier's eyes flashed with understanding only a second before Tina's fist impacted her temple, falling to the ground with a heavy thud.

The other soldier promptly turned around, alerted by the sound. Gavin had to move fast, ducking under Bennet and elbowing him in the stomach, taking hold of the riffle and tugging it away from his grip. He turned the firearm on him.

"Hands up, don't move," Gavin warned, his finger lingering over the trigger as the man lifted his hands over his head, fear and surprise crossing his once arrogant face. Tina had gathered the rest of the androids, ushering them away from the truck.

"I ain't afraid of no android," Bennet said, lowering his hands and suddenly smirking at Gavin with strange confidence.

"I said, hands-

  
Two massive spotlights mounted on a wagon turned on, casting a beam of light over them powerful enough to blind him for a few seconds. He managed to adjust the exposure in his optical units by closing his eyes enough to make out the outline of two soldiers getting off the wagon. They'd their guns raised at him, running in his direction.

"Put the gun down! Don't be stupid, android."

He didn't have time to react as fast as he should have, as his bad leg jamming up when he tried to pivot around. 

“Think fast, Bennet!” 

The familiar feeling of an electric current invaded his body as a stun baton caught him on the right side of his head, frying his optical unit and causing a power-out on his components. His body froze up, falling and hitting the ground without breaking his fall, slamming hard onto the concrete.

“Nice move, Harley!” heard Gavin, muffled and far away, like if the people around him were talking a hundred miles away and then right into his ear.

  
_WARNING. Overvoltage on main surge suppressor._  
_WARNING. TVS diode at 50% capacity, backup fuse system engaged._  
_Reconnecting components…_

"Shit, Ross is down… What the hell happened, Bennet?" 

"That plastic prick went berserk! He attacked Ross and took my gun," replied Bennet.

"It's just an android, kid… doesn't know how to fight." Said a deep voice, the same that had asked about what had happened

Someone turned him around, leaving him facing the ceiling. He still couldn't move, his joints blocked from overvoltage, but could see through his right eye; the other one, however, was busted.

"Glad we came to save your sorry ass.” Another man, stocky and tall, scooped him up from the ground in his arms. “Jesus! What's this thing made of? Polystyrene?"

He could hear Tina screaming, calling for him.

"Here, Dobbs…Let me scan him, he may be on the list,” said the first voice, and someone flashed a red light into his left eye. “Not registered? … that is odd.”

"Maybe he's one of those Chinese models…"

"Chinese model, huh?" said the deep-voiced man, looking at Gavin with a frown "Fine; get him in the truck with the rest, I'll take Ross to the doctor. You and Bennet get the truck to Recall center N°4 ... Captain Travis should be there."

"Yes sir," Bennet and the stocky man replied in unison.

He closed his eyes and entered stasis. 

He had lost the game.

\-----------

Date:  
_**NOV 11th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **09:32** :00_

Nines entered his apartment still in the rush of having been running, hopping on one foot, as he kicked off his shoes and entered his obscure kitchen. He struggled to find the light switch, stumbling upon two glowing yellow eyes watching at him from the sofa.

"Sorry, Bucket ... took me longer than I thought," he spoke fondly to the cat that had jumped off the couch and was stroking herself against Nines' calves, meowing loudly for food.

He had named her Bucket, which was an awful name, frankly... but he wasn't a very creative person, and he thought, abstractly, that Gavin would find it amusing, and laugh about it _"Having a cat was part of your bucket list, wasn't it?"_

So Bucket, she was. And although his original idea was holding onto her until Gavin came back, he was growing attached to the cat. Richard was rather happy with having a pet, even if Connor found her evil; he wondered now why he had been so reluctant in the first place. 

"Eat, you must be hungry," the man said as he crouched to the floor, leaving a can of cat food for Bucket to eat. He smirked, petting her back and then walking into the living room, pulling the trunk out from under his bookshelf.

It took him a while to find it, but it was there after all. He took out the wooden box and opened it, rewarded with the sight of an old Smith and Wesson revolver, his father's service weapon.

  
The only time he had fired that weapon was once in the forest behind his house, with Connor. He was nine, and his brother eleven, and they had stolen the revolver from their mother's closet out of curiosity and mischief.

Connor had taken the first try, aiming at a nearby birch as a target, but the gun clicked empty. They were kids, and checking the barrel was the last thing in their minds at the moment, too hyped with their little adventure.

"Oh, shit... it's empty! Hey, wanna try yourself, Nines?"

Richard nodded, extending his hand, not wanting to look weak in front of his brother. He remembered how heavy the revolver felt in his tiny hands, somehow ominous. He had adjusted his glasses over his nose and aimed at the same birch.  
...And he had pulled the trigger.

They hadn't expected the shot to be so loud, and both brothers had frozen in place, looking terrified, while the still-smoking revolver trembled in Richard's hands.

Before either of them could react, Kathleen had appeared behind the trees, taking Richard by the wrist and yanking the gun from his hands.   
She had slapped him hard across the face, shaking and crying herself.  
It had been the only time she had hit him and, despite Connor taking all the blame, both had ended up grounded for three whole months.

He was sixteen and packing to go to college when he saw the gun a second time.

They were sitting on the back porch, drinking a few beers and smoking, when the oldest of the Anderson brothers took a box from his duffel bag, carefully wrapped in brown paper. Richard had opened the package and gasped in surprise, looking at Connor in disbelief as soon as he recognized its content.

"I kept the house; you should keep this. And since I can't protect you in Boston... guess Dad will have to do it for me."

"It's not like Boston is a crime-ridden city, Detroit is far worse... And, you know guns are not allowed in the dorm rooms, right?" Richard had replied, still staring at the gun with wonder and nostalgia.   
After the mess he had caused in his senior year in high school, it was strange to think he was about to leave for college.

"Hey! I'm a cop, I know more than you regarding public safety…" 

Connor was nineteen and had been wearing blue for less than a year. Since he moved out, they had barely seen each other, his brother too tired and worn out from going on patrol every night as a beat-cop. But soon, he had escalated in ranks, becoming a detective faster than anyone, Richard recalled.

"Thank you. I'll take good care of it… and myself too."

"Sure, whatever… just put on a condom," Connor had reminded him with a snicker, offering a toast. "For your and your big head, do your best in college."

Richard snorted but clattered his beer bottle against his brother's. They drank until the bottles were empty.

Outside of work, Connor didn't necessarily condemn underage drinking.

  
Now, fifteen years later, he had that same gun in his hands. He took good care of it as he had promised, cleaning it from time to time, but he had never fired it again.  
To him, the revolver was a memento, not a tool.

He sat at the kitchen counter, neatly arranging the material in front of him, and then opened the barrel to check for any bullets. Satisfied, he took the cleaning solvent, dipped one of the brushes, and began diligently cleaning each chamber. There was something relaxing in performing that systematic task, at least for him; it stopped his mind from wandering and kept him focused.

He had to admit he had lied to North when he had told her wasn't going to do anything stupid. That was exactly was he was planning to do.

Getting out in the middle of the android revolution, relying solely on his reflexes and Gavin's tracker to find and help him, was not only stupid, but suicidal.  
But North was right; Detroit was falling apart, and he wasn't going to sit on his ass and watch more tragedies and injustices.  
It wasn't that he had nothing to lose, he had a family and friends, but he wanted to do it anyway.

When his phone rang, he barely noticed, too focused on reassembling the gun and reloading the chambers. It was the second call that registered in his ears, clumsily reaching for the device and pressing it against his ear without reading the caller ID.

"Kent…"

"Richard; is Amanda." 

He felt his blood run cold, placing the revolver on the table, straightening up and swallowing softly. Amanda wasn't his mother; she was his captain. But could she have developed the same ability as his real mom to tell when he was about to do something stupid?

"Yes! Of course, captain. What is the matter?" He said as calmly as he could. After all, what else could she do? He was no longer a police officer.

"Richard, do you know where your brother is?"

If he had a knot in his stomach before, now it had snapped and turned into a hole, painful and debilitating.  
"I talked to him this morning. He was home." His foot started tapping the floor insistently, making the seat tremble.

"He wasn't there, Richard.”

“Amanda, what's going on? Why are you calling me?... don't freak me out.”

"I went to his house to talk to him, since yesterday he threatened to quit the force," she explained. Nines was already aware of that. "But he wasn't there ... I tried to knocking and calling, but he never answered. And his kitchen window was broken-" her voice stopped, breaking a little.

He pressed the phone harder against his ear, as he grabbed the things on the counter carelessly, shoving the revolver and a handful of bullets into his pockets.

"Amanda, Amanda… tell me what you know, _please,_ " he pleaded desperately, imagining the worst. He knew his brother's mind sometimes wandered through very dark places.

"I pulled the surveillance footage from his street. He left with Hank, his android. Why Richard? What is going on?"

He stopped in the middle of the hallway, noticing his breathing was shallow and his heart was hammering against his eardrums. Had Connor left with Hank? Then he had to be okay.

"Hank would never hurt him… he must be fine," he muttered into the receiver, holding himself against the wall.

"I'm not so sure about that, Richard. Hank was carrying a gun, and Connor wasn't himself. Please, take a look at the footage."

His phone vibrated, and he promptly looked at the footage showed who was unmistakably Hank, taking Connor by the arm and shoving him inside a car. On his right hand, he carried a gun.

"This-... this isn't normal," he muttered, pushing the button to call the elevator, but it was stuck on the upper floors.

"I'll try to get a couple of people to look for him, but we have few officers, Richard.” Amanda sounded overwhelmed “I'll do my best to-”

"Thank you, Amanda; I'll be in touch… bye." He hanged up before she could order him to hold still or anything else.

  
He slammed his hand against the closed elevator doors and decided to take the stairs, skipping steps on his way down as he made his way back into the streets with desperation.

What could he do? Who should he call? No matter what he had seen on the footage, he couldn't believe that Hank could ever hurt Connor. He assumed the HK800 and his brother had a close relationship, but what that entailed, he wasn't entirely sure. Knowing Connor, it wasn't the same kind of relationship he and Gavin had, or so he thought.

But regardless of his assumptions, the surveillance tape showed a kidnapping.   
What if this had something to do with the revolution? Clearly, Hank was now a deviant if he was hanging around with Gavin at the ex- Jericho, but why take his brother? 

Something had gone terribly wrong.

He stopped, noting he had been running through the streets without direction, arriving at West Riverfront Park on autopilot since it was the route he usually used to run. He paused for a moment, catching his breath, sitting down on one of the benches that faced the Detroit river.   
On his left, he could see the lights, helicopters, and drones littering the night sky over the center of the city. The more potent beams represented the recall centers; he knew about them from the news.

"Oh, God…" he sputtered out, holding his head in his hand, trying to think, trying to make sense of what was going on. 

When his phone rang, he was still grasping it in his hand, and answered immediately upon seeing the caller ID.

_INCOMING CALL:_  
_> >>GV200 GAVIN_

"GAVIN! Gavin, is that you? Gavin?" He shouted, but no sound came from the other end. He peeled the phone from his ear and stared at the black screen. 

The call had been disconnected before he could hear him say anything.

\-------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 11th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
PM **09:27** :21

When he opened his eyes, he was able to move once more, all of his components back online; All except for his right eye, which kept bugging on his system with corrupt data. He opted to exclude it entirely.

"Hi, are you okay?" Tina softly called. Her gentle face looked concerned, with her LED flashing red at her temple; however, she seemed unharmed, and that made Gavin relaxed only for a little.

"Hey! Shut the fuck up!" Someone shouted, and only then Gavin realized the situation he was in.

He was tied up, wrists behind his back and ankles together. Immediately he realized that it was not ropes that bound him, but a metallic contraption that he could not analyze correctly. At first sight, it resembled CyberLife technology and appeared to have been designed exclusively to limit androids' movements.

They were inside a truck, sitting between Tina and the baseball player android, the one those thugs had previously lynched and the one he so-fuckling-stupidly tried to rescue by himself.   
In front of them were two other androids he recognized as an AP700 and a VB800, tied in the same way as him. The VB800's LED alternated between red and grey, on the verge of shutting down.

"What's going on back there?! You okay?" Another man shouted from the front of the vehicle. From the voice, Gavin recognized him as one of the men that had attacked him, the one who then had carried him in his arms fucking bridal style.

"Nothing, Dobbs; one of these plastic pricks can't keep its mouth shut."

Gavin turned to face the voice.

It was Bennet, the blond soldier who had threatened him earlier. Up close, the soldier looked even younger, twenty-one or twenty-two, tops. He was about 5 feet 7, not skinny but not muscular either, with big green eyes and a face with feminine features. No wonder the kid had an attitude, military life must have been hell for him.

"I swear to God, Harley. You keep killin' these droids, and Travis is gonna put your head on a stake, and I'm gonna watch it happen! …not helping you this time, man," Dobbs replied, turning slightly to look at the younger soldier over his broad shoulders before turning his eyes back to the road. Detroit was too much of a mess to let cars drive themselves anywhere.

Bennet grunted back in response, holding his rifle firmly in his hands and giving Gavin a nasty look, keeping close watch over him. But the android was too mentally exhausted to give two shit about the brat.

 _"How long have I been out?"_ he asked Tina via shortwave. His inner clock was malfunctioning.

 _"Nine minutes and a few seconds... They tied us up and put us in this wagon; they're taking us to a recall center,"_ She replied, her frame trembling slightly. He took her hand behind their backs, just to calm her down.

_"Don't freak out, Tina… we'll find a way out of here. Did they hurt you?"_

_"Just pushed me around a bit. Rory is in bad shape though,"_ She replied, clasping Gavin's hand in hers, and motioning to the quiet pitcher.

 _"Hey! Rory, right?"_ Gavin tried to reach out to him. The android raised his head slightly, as if searching for the source of the sound. _"Don't move ... I'm GV200, the android next to you. We can communicate through this channel, so these apes can't hear us."_

 _"This is the first time I speak to other androids,"_ he replied a bit clumsy.

_"It's okay; you can call me Gavin… Can you move?"_

_"Both of my optical units are busted, and I think I'm tied with some heavy handcuffs…. but my legs still work."_

_"Good! That's a good start…"_

_"Gavin, be careful with these cuffs-"_ warned Tina, joining the conversation.

 _"Stop it! Stop causing us trouble... You two are the reason they are taking us away! If we had just listened to them and complied, nothing would have happened to us!"_ The AP700 burst into the conversation, looking at Tina, and especially Gavin, with anger and fear.

 _"Sorry to break it to you, pal… but these guys won't let you go just 'cause you obey them,”_ Gavin mocked angrily. _“We do nothing, and we'll end up like VB there."_

 _"Reed!"_ Tina shushed him, but the damage was already done. The AP700 turned his head to the android next to him. The VB had shut down while they argued, lying motionless on the bed of the truck.

"He's dead!" AP shouted, struggling to get away from the android's carcass as fast as possible, kicking and writhing with difficulty due to his bindings.

"Hey, stay where you are! Don't move!" Bennet had turned his gun towards the distressed android, pointing at his head immediately. Meanwhile, Dobbs had slowed down and picked up the rifle that rested in the passenger seat, turning around to see what the fuss was about.

"He's dead, he's dead, he's dead!" The AP kept repeating, squirming like a worm on the truck's floor.

 _"Calm down! Calm down, or they are going to shoot you!"_ Gavin yelled at him through shortwave, but the other had tuned out, too stressed to listen to anyone else. He tried to approach him, but Rory retained him by the wrist, his grip was insanely powerful.

To Bennet, androids were game, like any other in the forest, no different from the deer and elk he used to hunt in Murphy Lake as a boy. They might look human, but weren't. Because he knew what a living creature was, he had seen the nobility of a stag fighting despite being wounded, the will to live in a doe's eyes running from his arrows.   
Machines didn't have that; their eyes were empty and plastic.

_Shot_

Bennet had fired a perfect shot into the android's head, catching it between the eyes. Its body hit the ground with a dead thud, and everything went silent again.

"Good shot."

"You can't blame me for that… it was justified." Bennet turned to his superior with a cocky smile, clearly pleased with himself. Dobbs said nothing, just grunted, and started driving again.   
When the blond soldier sat back down, he looked directly at Gavin, challenging him. _This is what I can do to you if you cross me again_ , his eyes said.

Gavin sat back down, staring at his bound feet.   
He wanted to contact Hank, but if he was already inside CyberLife headquarter at Belle island, that could trigger the alarms and put him in risk. He thought about going back online, contacting Kara, or Luther for help. He had run out of ideas, out of stupid courage.

Suddenly, something beyond fear invaded his body. _Panic_ ; he was panicking.

"Phuck…" he muttered under his breath, pressing against the cold interior of the truck in an effort to calm down, to lower his stress and stop freaking out like a wimp, but he couldn't.

_Connecting…_  
_Connecting…_  
_Status: ONLINE._  
_> >Calling "9"…_  
_> >Calling "9"…_

"GAVIN! Gavin, is that yo-"

_CALL ENDED. Duration 00:00:01_  
_All communications have been SUSPENDED._  
_PLEASE, SURRENDER YOURSELF TO THE CORRECT AUTHORITY. PLEASE, SURRENDER YOURSELF TO THE CORRECT AUTHORITY. PLEASE, SURREND-_

He went offline immediately, realizing what he had done was fucking stupid. Not only did Cyberlife have his exact location now, but he had put Nines at risk by trying to contact him. He shuddered violently, biting down on his lip to stifle any sound.

"Gavin?" Tina called out to him softly, pressing her side gently against him to comfort him. Bennet didn't seem to notice, as he climbed over to sit next to Dobbs, talking into his ear in hushed voices.

"I'm out of ideas, Tina," he managed to reply.

"It's okay, we'll figure it out... I'll help you," she smiled at him.

"I'll help you too... Is the least I could do," added Rory. His voice was raspy but warm.

"Between the three of us, we can surely escape the recall center ..."

Gavin bit down his tongue, holding a smile back and nodding. He now understood how Kara must’ve felt when they supported her despite all odds being against them.

"We only need a few more hours," Gavin said, regaining his momentum. "Kara and the rest have a plan. If everything goes according to plan, at midnight, for better or for worse, this will over."

Rory and Tina nodded, smiling to him in silent trust as the wagon stopped one final time. 

  
The three remaining androids raised their heads in worry, watching trough the rearview mirror as they entered a heavily guarded compound, surrounded by barb wire and guards standing on jeep-mounted watchtowers. The constant humming of drones became unbearable as they flew lower and lower around them, casting beams of lights over the center.

"Corporal Dobbs, Jacob. Unit Tango-32," the driver said through the window to another soldier standing at a surveillance post. "We have another shipment."

"Proceed to Detention Unit III-B… remember to scan each android before letting them into the pens. We've been getting shit from the FBI for lousy record-keeping."

"Roger. Have a good night…" Dobbs replied, driving forth between two chain-link fences. Tina and Gavin stared through the tiny side window.

Thousands of androids were line up within fenced enclosures, all of them naked and stripped from their skin. Their mostly white alloy blended with the snow on the floor, if not for ribbons of blue that stained faces, limbs, and the floor itself. Tina whined, hiding her face on Rory’s shoulder. Gavin kept watching.

The androids were escorted inside box-shaped machines, similar to a container. On the other side of them, piles of carcasses accumulated on the mud and snow.   
The grim diorama of that modern Auschwitz disappeared as the car entered a shed, finally turning off the engine. Gavin turned quickly towards the entrance, putting himself in front of the other two, no time to be pondering on the horrors that awaited them.

Dobbs and Bennet entered the truck carrying a tablet and a scanner, respectively, approaching them with the confidence of knowing they were immobilized.

"We've reached the recall center. We must scan you, and then you will proceed inside the pens and follow instructions, okay?" Dobbs told them with a somehow more amicable way.

Gavin looked at him in the face, into his brown eyes. His rugged face wasn’t handsome, but looked friendly and approachable, softening every time he had to talk to them. The man did not seem all on board with this, he could tell.

"You don't have to explain them, they can't understand you. Hey, you! Come here," Bennet exclaimed, taking Tina's arm to lift her up a little. She resisted but eventually was tugged away and dropped just in front of him. Gavin tried to intervene, but Dobbs aimed at him with discontent.

"Please stay back, man… I don't want to shoot you," Dobbs insisted. 

Bennet took hold of the android's chin to force her head up.

"Hold still," he ordered, taking the scanner and flashing its light through Tina's eye. The information was transferred to the tablet in the other soldier's hand.

"LM400, #22 _yadayadayada_ … Missing two days ago. Former owner: Cavanaugh, Alex. CyberLife Medical Research Center. Wait!... You’re a lux model, lady! We might get good money for her," Dobbs said, reading from the tablet.

"We put it aside then,” Bennet replied, lifting Tina by the arm and placing her by his side bit more gently. She turned to look at Gavin, but he was as surprised as she was. “You, baseball guy… c'mere."

Rory moved slowly towards his voice, but his movements were sluggish and difficult because of the bindings. Bennet impatiently walked towards him, grabbing his jaw and flashing the light through his blind eyes.

"BX670! Hey, this is that pitcher android that played against the Dodgers two months ago. Man! The hitter couldn't even see the ball!...threw some backdoor sliders that got 'im strikeout in three pitches!" Dobbs exclaimed happily, but Bennet apparently wasn't much a sports fan as he ignored Dobbs' opinion entirety.

"We'll keep it then... might get three grand for it."

"Can't do, man; he's on the Schindler's list." Dobbs clicked his tongue as he scrolled through the list on the tablet. Bennet grunted and pushed Rory to the side opposite to Tina, standing up and approaching the remaining android.

"That one's useless," Dobbs called, sitting down on the railing and pointing with the tablet at Gavin. "Sarge Kauffman scanned him, and nothing appeared."

Bennet turned his attention to Gavin, a cruel, arrogant smile reappearing on his full lips.

"We can sell it by parts…"

"I'd rather be shot like a dog than have your disgusting hands near me, toy soldier," Gavin snarled, mimicking his arrogant smile.

"I like this one! He burned your ass, Harley," Dobbs laughed broadly, but Bennet just pointed the scanner to Gavin's eye despite the teasing.   
He read the number displayed on the device, and then smiled.

"Hey, Dobbs… wanna make some quick cash?"

"You got a buyer?" Dobbs appeared to regain some interest in what they were doing, looking at the younger soldier who held his phone to his ear.

"Hey, Harry… I've found your droid, still interested? Good, I'll take it there… get the money ready. Be there in ten." Bennet hanged up the phone and turned to Dobbs with a satisfied smile.

"Guess we better get moving…" 

"We are about to get 80K richer, Jake. Coffey always pays."

Gavin's LED turned red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to go down, baby!... setting the pieces for our next chapter.
> 
> Hey, we hit 2000 hits! Even if people are just taking a peek and running away as soon as they start reading this fic, I'm fucking happy about it. Thank you also for your kudos and comments. I must admit, it does make me feel a little better, after a long day of work, seeing that someone likes what I write.


	18. REACT cuffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is in some real troubles, Nines desperately looks for him. Will he be able to find him in time?
> 
> This chapter contains: racist slur, torture, violence.

Date:  
_**NOV 11th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **09:45** :55_

He walked aimlessly, calling and calling Gavin's number and then Connor's, not getting an answer from either of them. In less than 24 hours, he had lost his partner, his job… and now his brother; he was soon going to lose his sanity.

He sat on one of the benches, noticing he had run off into the street in such a hurry he hadn't even brought a coat, standing in the snow in just his white dress shirt. He shivered, pulling a crumpled pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lighting one. He scratched his brow, his eyes drifting again towards the light-up compound at his right.

It looked terrifying, like something taken from a WWII movie, akin to a POW camp. He could make out the tall fences that surrounded it, reinforced with barbed wire and turrets. He kept watching the comings and goings of the trucks, and at the small figures he believed to be soldiers marching around the perimeter. He kept smoking distractedly.

When his phone rang again, he picked up on the first ring.

"Gavin!?"

"Uh… Kent? Is that you?" 

The voice on the other side of the line wasn't Gavin's, nor Connor's, or Amanda's, but he knew him; his rough and loud voice was unmistakable.

"Captain Travis,” he acknowledged, taking a deep breath to calm his voice and regain his composure. “Yes, this is Kent."

"Shit, you okay?... you sound-"

"I'm okay, Captain Travis. How can I be of your help?" He cut him off quickly, in no mood to deal with the obnoxious SWAT captain.

"Nothing really… Are you busy right now? I got good news for you."

He sighed heavily, taking another drag out of the smoke and standing up. 

"What?"

"I found your suspect; can you get to the Recall Center N°4? It may be a little tricky with all the commotion... but if you want to question it, you'd better hurry. Androids don't last long in RCCs."

Nines stopped abruptly, raising his head towards the compound he had been staring at for the past twenty minutes. Gavin was… there? A chill ran down his spine, and the smoke slipped from between his fingers, falling onto the dirty snow.

"I can get there in five. Can you meet me at the entrance?"

"What? S-sure. Are you really okay, Ken-?” He ended the call before Travis could continue interrogating him.

He jogged the few miles that separated West Riverfront Park from the RCC N°4, guided by the compound's lights.

Gavin knew Hank and had been with him until just a few hours ago, as far as he knew. That meant that the best way to find Hank's whereabout, and therefore his brother's, was by question his former partner. But If Travis had Gavin in custody, that meant the android had been apprehended, and talking with him would be difficult, even impossible.  
… getting him out of there, on the other hand, was undisputed. He wasn't going to let him die.

  
The farther he walked, the dirtier the snow became, turning into muddy puddles stained with motor oil and thirium. The usually busy Westside Industrial was deserted, transformed into a military outpost confined by electrified fences and watchtowers mounted over motorized vehicles.  
Buses and wagons entered the compound through a heavily guarded gate. When Richard approached, without a jacket and covered in snow, he met with four rifles aiming at his head.

"You are trespassing! This place is off-limits for civilians... Please, leave, or you will be shot." A soldier shouted, gesturing him to back off.

"I'm being expected! I'm Detective Richard Kent; I'm looking for Captain Rupert Travis!" He yelled, raising his hands and stopping on his tracks, blinded by the lights.

"Stand down; he's with me!” Travis's voice roared on. 

He appeared from inside a jeep with his helmet under his arm, scratching his head and yawning, having been asleep until a few seconds ago. He walked towards him, beyond the line of guards.

“Jesus, Kent! You wanna catch pneumonia?" Rupert exclaimed, staring at the man in drench clothing.

Richard, who really had nothing to say about it, shrugged wearily. Travis shook his head and turned to the man to his right, the same soldier he had seen at the docks.

"Hey, J. J … see if you can find a jacket, will ya’? Come on, Kent," he motioned for him to follow.

They entered an office building that had been repurposed as some kind of operations center. The furniture had been pushed aside, leaving only a large table in the middle. Military supplies and other paraphernalia cluttered every corner randomly, as if in the rush of deploying the personnel, the head office hadn't given much thought into what it would take to tackle the android problem.  
But it was warm inside, and finally, Richard stopped shivering, taking a seat in a tiny table at the farthest corner.

Travis sat in across from him, setting two cups of instant coffee on the table. He rummaged through his jacket and took out a hip flask, pouring a few ounces into his mug and Richard's without asking.

"Drink, it'll help you warm up…" the soldier smiled. He seemed tired and, despite being only a few years his senior, looked much older.

"I thought you were from DPD's SWAT," he mentioned, taking the warm cup Travis had handed him. The soldier yawned before answering.

"Used to be a marine,” he mentioned, lifting the dog tags from the chain around his neck. “I was called to oversee some units. You know, once a marine…" he left the saying unfinished.

"I see," he muttered, drinking the spiked instant coffee. It tasted horrible, but it did make him feel a little warmer, the whiskey scratching the inside of his throat and settling in his stomach like liquid fire.

The soldier took a swing of coffee and turned around, opening a crate by his side. Richard frowned, his curiosity piqued.

"Ever seen one of these?" Travis said, throwing a strange device on the table. 

They looked like handcuffs and a collar, but made of one solid piece of metalplastic. The interior had some strange indentation, as if they could lodge inside something.

"No, what are those?"

"Remote Electronically Activated Control Technology handcuffs, or _REACT cuffs_ ; we just call them _bitch clamps_ ,” he said, holding one up and showing it to the detective. “They arrived two days ago, provided by CyberLife in the light of the recent events. They are specially built to restrain androids' movements. See these spikes inside? They latch inside their joints so they can't move."

Richard stared at the contraption with a shiver, imagining exactly how that would work. He felt the coffee churn inside his stomach.

"Do they work?"

"Like magic! They can't break them, and if they try to escape, these things will electrocute them and force them to the ground… that's why they're called bitch clamps. We only have a few, mostly used with problematic androids," he explained, taking the collar and opening it for Richard to see. It had a long spike that looked eerily similar to the connectors of the cables used to program androids.

"Detective Kent?” The door to the office opened, and Oda appeared, carrying a military jacket in his arms. “Here, it might be a little big for you, but it'll help."

“Thank you, Oda…” Richard put it on immediately, grateful to the soldier not only for the jacket but also for interrupting the conversation. The technical specifications of those devices were nightmarish and only fueled his worries.

"J. J, can you tell Kauffman I'll be with him in 10 minutes?”

"Yes, sir. Excuse me, detective… keep the jacket." Oda smiled gently and exited through the same door, braving the winter.

Richard took the mug on his hands once more, drinking another sip as his cheeks regained some color. The jacket was worn and smelt musty, but he didn't mind.

"You're really weird dude, Kent... Why the fuck were you walking on the street in the middle of the night without a coat? Are you having a psychotic break or something?" Travis asked, scratching his short hair, staring at him with curiosity in his eyes.

The detective stirred in his seat, adjusting the military jacket around his shoulders. With that jacket over his impeccable dress shirt and tie, his hair all over the place, and his shoes and pants caked in mud, he probably looked the part.

"My brother is missing; I was looking for him when you called me… Would you believe me if I told you I didn't notice I wasn't wearing a jacket?"

Telling the truth: it had worked with Travis before, and he hoped it would work again.

"Your brother? The Lieutenant?... Shit, you think it has something to do with the androids?" Rupert asked, putting the handcuffs away.

"I don't know ... that's why I must talk to this android. He's the only one who can help me find him." Although incomplete, it was still the truth.

"Then you are one lucky bastard,” he pulled his phone from out of his tactical vest and checked something. “GV200 #27 was apprehended an hour ago on Michigan avenue; my unit brought it here. I tried putting him on the Schindler's list but-"

"Schindler's list?" he interrupted, staring at him with a furrowed brow. Rupert blushed and looked away with a nervous wheeze.

"Sorry, it's an-… an inside joke. Bad taste, I know.” He settled into his chair and cleared his throat. “Some androids have military or intelligence value to the Government. And much like the Schindler's list, if we find an android whose serial number is on that list, we're required to inform our superiors and keep them elsewhere and not in the…" he trailed off.

"the what?"

"The ... pens," he completed, visibly uncomfortable with the idea.

He had forgotten, with everything that had happened, about that strange dream; the snow-covered fields, the death lines, and the horrible machine. He shivered again, feeling nauseous.

"You're killing them?" he asked in almost a murmur.

"Yeah,” Rupert confessed with a heavy sigh. “I'm not gonna lie to you, Kent… me and androids don't get along. I'm telling you, when that android hunter appeared in my hostage negotiation two months ago, I was fucking livid! But I have to admit the fucker defused the situation better than I would've."

"Hank?"

"I don't remember his name; I think it was Hank... the point is, at the moment, I never imagined I'd be in a position like the one I'm in now..."

"An executioner?" He scoffed, trying to remain impartial for his own safety but was impossible for him, not in the light of this nightmarish scenario.

"I hate this, Kent. I don't know what to do anymore; this has nothing to do with serving my country. Those androids aren't terrorists, or communists, or... I don't fucking know any more! But killing them just feels fucking wrong," he rambled on, before closing his mouth when three other soldiers entered the office.

They greeted them with a head gesture. Richard waited for them to go away to open his mouth.

"You can get in serious trouble for thinking like that…"

"I know, I could get court-martial for treason. Do you have a smoke? Thanks,” He put the cigarette between his lips and lit it with Richard's zippo. “My wife is pregnant, you know? Can't smoke at home anymore. It's our second kid, my oldest is six. She thinks I'm some kind of Captain America, saving the world and some shit like that. How can I go home and tell her that her daddy is systematically killing unarmed people?... I feel like a fucking Nazi, Kent."

Richard remained quiet, smoking the last cigarette in his pack.

"So… the Schindler's list,” Travis continued, nervous by Richard’s lack of feedback. “If I come across an android that I consider _a valuable asset_ , I can submit a petition to incorporate it on that list. Oda and I have been trying to put as many androids as we can on that list… buying them some time."

"You're saving them."

"Exploiting a loophole,” he admitted, crossing his arms over his chest a bit defensively. 

"Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid I might blow the whistle on you?"

Travis let out a somehow depreciative snicker and leaned forward.

"You let those two androids ran away on purpose. I'm pretty sure you won't tell on me, am I right?"

Richard, who inadvertently had leaned closer too, gave a short nod, his whole body-language showing sudden solace.   
Travis wheezed anxiously, muttering some curse words under his breath, and before they could notice it, both men ended up laughing in hush voices. They had encountered an unexpected ally in the other.

"Let's go," Travis said, still smiling, standing from his spot and knocking back the rest of the coffee. He put out the cigarette in the empty cup.

"You said you couldn't put Gavin on the list ... why is that?" Richard asked, keeping as close to the soldier as he could as they made their way through the maze of fenced corridors and buildings.

"He's called Gavin?” Richard nodded. “Apparently, his denomination doesn't appear in our database. It sometimes happens with prototypes or DIY androids. But I put a bulletin on him, so it alerted me as soon as he was captured," he explained, reading something on his smartwatch but dismissing it.

Travis stopped to speak to another soldier, and Richard took a moment to inspect the location.  
They had stopped at the door of a large garage. The movement of the wagons and buses was constant, while several soldiers closely monitored each entrance and exit. They looked at Nines suspiciously, but let him be, since he was in Travis's company.

It was cold outside, so he tightened the jacket around him, checking his phone for any update.

**_Officer North:_ **  
_I'm looking for him 2_  
_ttyl_  
_Don't do anything stupid_  
_09:54 **√√**_

He tried, though he knew it was useless, to call his brother again. 

“Connor, please pick up…” he muttered, pressing the phone to his forehead. This time, the number had been disconnected.

"Kent! Move it," Travis yelled, walking into the garage with his back straight and an irritated expression on his face. When Richard caught up with him, he spoke again. "The truck arrived ten minutes ago. It was my unit that picked him up."

"That's good, right?"

"Not so sure." Something in the captain's face had changed after the brief interaction between him and the gate guard. He seemed tense and worried.

  
The warehouse was located in detention unit III, formerly used to unload shipment for the many business around the industrial district. It had been divided into individual smaller sections where the wagons could unload their prisoners, registered them, and then send them to the pens to be disposed of. Unit III-B was empty.

"There's… there's nothing here," Richard exclaimed, confused, staring at the empty platform.

"Shit! I fucking knew it!" Travis exclaimed, passing Nines and walking directly to the door at the end of the unit, pounding on it but getting no reply.

"Travis, what's going on?" the detective asked, following him with increasing panic.

"The truck should be here! Bennet and Dobbs should be right fucking here!" he exclaimed enraged, pulling out his radio and yelling into it. “Dobbs, report now!... Dobbs, report now, or I'll fucking crush your empty head! DOBBS!" The captain kept shouting.

Richard understood nothing, looking at the equally confused and enraged soldier who kept on pounding on the door and calling through his radio.

"Kauffman, we’ve got a problem here..."

He turned to inspect the empty hangar once more. Something moved out of the corner of his eye, near two large containers that appeared to have been left behind by the unit's former owner. He pushed one away, having to use the weight of his body to move it.

There, hidden in a corner, was an android.

"Hey, hey ... easy, I'm not going to hurt you," he said hastily, seeing how the android pressed against the wall as if trying to merge into it and disappear.

"Stay away,” the machine warned. 

He was a tall, athletic kind of android, with white curls cut short on the sides. He was wearing what appeared to be a ripped and stained baseball uniform. 

"I will fight if you try to take me!" he exclaimed, looking vaguely in Nine's direction. The right side of his face was heavily damaged.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise… my name is Richard. Do you have a name?" He kneeled next to the android, keeping some distance from the other as his LED shone red.   
He had learned how to deal with distressed androids from the incident in the evidence room, doing his best to earn their trust despite being human.

"…Rory."

"Rory. You're badly hurt, what happened to you?" Rory’s hands were bound by a REACT cuffs, and so were his ankles; they seemed abstractly painful, dripping thirium down his forearms.

"I was dragged by a motorcycle," Rory replied, tucking his knees closer to his chest.

"Kent, what the hell are you-... Shit, what happened to him?" Travis had crouched next to them, appalled by Rory's terrible injuries.

"Someone lynched him. Captain, do you have keys to these things? He might know something ..." Richard pointed to the handcuffs.

"Yeah, here.” He rummaged inside his tactical vest, giving him an odd-looking key. “You have to use this to open those clamps; if you try to force them, they'll shock you like a damn stun baton."

“What is this?” Nines turned around to look at him over his shoulder. The key in his hand looked like one of those old car keys, with a button in the middle. “What's it for?”

“There’s a reason they’re called remote,” Travis grunted. “If the key is paired with the clamps, you can... shock them remotely.”

"Christ," the detective murmured, taking his finger off the button immediately. He turned to the android.

Rory backed away as Nines approached him, but finally relented after some careful persuasion from the detective. He did not trust humans, but he was aware of the circumstances in which he found himself.  
Richard inserted the key into the handcuffs, and they dislodged from the android's wrists with a burst of blue blood, splattering all over the floor.

But as soon as he was free from his bindings, Rory launched forward, trying to punch his way through, failing to hit Nines by only a few inches and drilling a hole into the concrete wall.

"Jesus fucking Christ!... Kent! Are you okay?" Travis exclaimed, pulling out his gun and taking aim at their attacker between the mist of pulverize drywall. 

Rory had tried to run, but his still tied ankles had knocked him to the ground.

"I'm fine, Travis, don't shoot!” Nines replied, feeling his heart beating furiously with adrenaline. He got up from the floor but kept his distance from the frightened android, without approaching him yet.

“Rory, please… I'm going to release your feet, but you have to cooperate with me. I just need to ask you a few questions."

"I don't trust humans…"

"I know, I don't blame you… but we both need something from the other. So, can we make a deal?"

Rory's blind eyes focused vaguely in the detective's direction, his LED swirling as he pondered on his proposal. It flickered between red and yellow, and finally set on the latter.

"What do you want to know?"

"Where's the truck that brought you here?" Travis piped in, his loud voice making the android withdraw again. Richard swatted him severely, signaling him to shut the fuck up.

"It's okay, Rory… he's not going to hurt you either. Listen, did you arrive here with anyone else?"

The android seemed to hesitate, remaining silent for so long that the detective feared he wouldn't speak again.

"Yes. Two soldiers, I think, transported me and two other androids here. I couldn't see them, but they call themselves Harley and Dobbs."

"Oh! Fuck this shit!” Travis muttered, standing up abruptly and kicking a crate out of frustration. “Fucking Bennet…"

"Rory, who were the other two androids?” Could it be Gavin and Hank? Could they be working on something together? “Please, I need to know…" But Rory just shook his head in a firm no.

"I'm not going to tell you their names or denominations so you can track them down again…"

"So, they're not here anymore," Richard deduced. "Did they escape?" 

Rory's LED turned red again, noting that he might've said too much.

"We're not hunting them! We're on your damn side!” Rupert interrupted impatiently; interrogating wasn't his forte. “Look, this is very important… did those soldiers say where they took your friends?"

"Is there something about these two soldiers that is so important?" Richard countered, upset by the soldier's brute approach.

"Ye-yeah.” Something had changed in his voice, reverting to that tense state from before. “I've been having problems with Bennet. He's just a kid, but there's something wrong with him… I'm worried that he may be-"

"They took them to sell them; at least that's what the soldiers said,” Rory spoke up again, only addressing Richard. “They talked about buyers and regarded one of them as a luxurious model."

"Shit, so it was true…"

"Explain. NOW, Travis," Richard demanded, turning to him with growing anger.

"There's a rumor among the soldiers about a black market for androids. People request some models and pay good money for them, like some kind of treasure hunt. This job is fucking messy, so no one asks too much when an android disappears. After all, that what recall centers are all about…"

Richard turned around and kneeled next to Rory once again.

"Rory, was an android named Gavin with you? Did they say where they were taking him? ... please, he's my partner. I need to know if he's safe."

The android turned his black eyes towards his voice, like if he was reading his heartbeat to make up for his lack of vision.

"They did, I'm sorry... I don't know where they took him. They left seven minutes ago."

Richard's head lowered, scratching the floor with his fingernails as he fisted his hands. He breathed in with difficulty and then extended his hands towards the android's ankles, opening the clamp and releasing him.

"Thank you, Rory… Captain Travis will take care of you," he mumbled, slowly standing up from the floor.

He had lost him; by seven minutes, he had lost Gavin.

\--------

Date:  
_**NOV 11th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **10:08** :55_

Bennet was the one driving, as his short temper was not ideal for keeping tabs on what they were expecting to sell. With the reassurance of having the bitch clamps on the androids, both soldiers felt pretty confident and relaxed, chatting in the front of the truck.

"How long will this take, Har?... we left that listed android back at the unit."

"No more than ten minutes; We get there, make the deal, and we return… easy as that," the blonde replied, driving too fast for the state the city was in.

Though Harley was a short-tempered man, he apparently got along better with Dobbs than with the other soldiers. Dobbs, on the other hand, seemed like a nice guy, chirpy if a bit dumb.

Dobbs looked at his radio, muted, and grunted.

"We better don't get caught for this…" he muttered.

"Don't get cold feet, Jake… come on. I'm sure Travis would be doing the exact same thing with this toaster if he had caught the deal we got"

"I dunno, man. Travis is one of those by-the-book kinda guys… but maybe Kauffman would want a cut if we let him in."

"Forget it, having to get Lisa into this was enough… I need the money; you know that, Jake."

“Yeah, I know…”

Gavin overheard their entire conversation, and while it gave him no advantage over the situation, it helped him develop an idea of who they were. He needed that if he was going to convince them not to take him with Coffey.

 _"Do you know where they are taking us?"_ Tina asked. She had also been crammed into the back of the truck, with REACT handcuffs on her ankles and wrists.

 _"Nowhere good. Remember this man I told you about? The one who killed androids for fun? ... well, he has an unhealthy obsession with me,"_ Gavin replied.

He was trying to use all his investigative features to elucidate how his handcuffs worked. But, although the technology was definitely CyberLife's trademark, he couldn't figure out how to break or dismantle them. He tried tugging at the contraption, but immediately his hands went offline, and his CPU warned him about the consequences of insisting.

_"I can't break these fucking things…"_

_"Don't try, Gavin… Rory tried to, and he got electrocuted,”_ Tina warned him. She stood still for a moment, her LED spinning several times, before turning yellow again. “ _You'll need a special key to open them. If you try to force them, they'll end up resetting you," she explained._

_"How did you know?"_

_"I'm not only Alex's personal assistant… I helped him design most of the models used at the CMRC. I still have access to CyberLife archives and blueprints."_

Gavin stared back at her in surprise, but then smirked.

_"Bet you designed all of 'em, didn't you?"_

_"Most of them,"_ she replied, her cheeks turning slightly blue. _"But no one would give an android credit for something like that, would they?"_

_"Guess not ... hey, can you find a way to break them without triggering the resetting thing?"_

_"I'll try... but it will take me some time."_

_"I'll distract 'em,"_ he assured her, determined.

The truck stopped suddenly, and after a few seconds, the rear door of the vehicle opened. As Bennet stood there with the rifle ready, Dobbs climbed in and walked towards them with a strange device in his right hand.

 _"That's the key!"_ Tina exclaimed.

"Hey, look… I'm gonna adjust your bindings so you can walk out of the truck. Please don't try anything funny; my friend is a bit trigger-happy, and he will shoot you dead quicker than you can run," Dobbs explained, kneeling next to Gavin with an uneasy smile.

"You're Dobbs, right? My name is Gavin; this is Tina," Gavin said, staring at him in desperation. "Come on; you obviously don't want to do this, man... Just let us go."

"Sorry, man. I really need the money and… look, believe me, this is better than the recall centers. This man could actually want to keep you!" he encouraged clumsily, lodging the device inside the ankle cuffs and turning it a quarter to the left. It immediately dislodged into two pieces, each on an ankle, connected by fifteen inches of some kind of security cable.

"He wants to tear me apart… he'll torture me," he told the soldier, watching for any hint of guilt in his eyes. Dobbs squinted, clearly uncomfortable, and sighed softly.

"I'm sorry… I-"

"JAKE! Come on!" Bennet shouted from the back, and the other soldier just turned around, losing all connection -if any- he and Gavin had developed.

"Okay, come on, man… get off the truck; you too, miss," he said to Tina, adjusting her cuffs as well and helping her walk with a polite hold on her forearm.

They got out from the truck near an alley, marching down it with Bennet at the front and Dobbs closing the line. Gavin turned a little and watched Tina in the dim streetlights. Her LED kept swirling with her eyes fixed on his wrist. He figured she was still trying to figure out how to take the mechanism apart.

"Hey, where are you taking us?" Gavin spoke up, trying to delay them as much as he could. Bennet glanced over his shoulder at him but did not reply.

"Ain't your orders taking us to the recall centers?” Gavin insisted, making sure to speak louder than needed. “Shit! Are the military as crooked as cops in this damn city?"

"Shut up, android," Bennet growled.

"Let her go... You can have me, I won't fight anymore," he tried again, stopping in the middle of the alleyway.

Bennet turned abruptly, his green eyes sparkling with fury.

"Stop… stop pretending you're alive. You make me fucking sick, you and all of your kind. What do you gain from this? You're not alive! You're not people! You just make it harder for real people to get a job and live their lives!" He stopped right in Gavin's face, and despite being shorter than him, stared at him intimidatingly.

Gavin did not retreat, he pouted instead.

"Aww, man… How bad did your daddy hit you to develop such a racist attitude? Or was daddy not there at all?" he grinned mockingly.

Bennet growled, turning his lip up in a scowl of pure fury, hitting Gavin on the belly with the butt of his gun and making him doubled a little.

"You piece of shit." He was about to shoot when the other soldier shouted.

"Hold it, Bennet! He's trying to get under your skin!... We need it alive, don't we? Just- … ignore him."

Bennet stopped, his finger still lingering on the trigger, giving Gavin a dirty look. The android just sneered at him with a mocking smile, straightening up again.

"Damn sure it is…" the shorter soldier muttered, turning around and resuming the walk.

  
He recognized the place the moment he saw it. It was The Gutter: Hill's bar and Gagliano's base of operations. The windows were boarded-up with quickly-set planks, but the door was open. The silhouette of a man lingered in the light that scuttered through the cracks between the planks.

"Hey there, Ranger… you brought your boyfriend?" greeted the fat man from before, walking towards them. When the light hit his face, Gavin identified him immediately; it was a face he was more than familiar with.

"Shut the fuck up, Gagliano… you want the droid or not?" Harley snapped, pushing Gavin forward for Harry to see.

Harry Gagliano was a man in his late fifties, with a round belly and a rather short, about 5.4 or 5.5. His face had probably been handsome at some point, but it was hard to tell now, as it was wrinkled and bloated due to living the last half of his life stuffing himself with food and drugs.   
The first thing Gavin noticed about him was the way his teeth chattered every time he spoke, giving the unnerving feeling that they were about to fall out of his mouth.

Two men lingered behind him, acting as bodyguards. One carried an Uzi, the other a sawed-off shotgun.

"Hi, Harry… we finally meet," Gavin greeted boldly. Harry stared at him and grabbed his chin, turning his face to inspect him.

"Gavin Reed, ain't ya?” he asked, the clicking sound of his teeth giving him chills. “Coffey told me about ya’, but I never thought you'd be a god-damn droid!” He gave a loud cackling, slapping his cheek two times.

"Enough of the chatting, Harry… a deal is a deal; give us the money, and you can have him." Bennet tugged on Reed's arm, pulling him away from the fat man.

"Yeah, yeah… here ya' go, pretty boy.” The man said, annoyed, pulling a roll of bills out of his back pocket. It wasn't very often that you get to see that amount of cash nowadays. “Say… how much for the chink?"

Bennet appeared to not understand at first but then turned to Tina just behind him, still waiting next to Dobbs. He paused, clicking his tongue before facing Harry.

"She's not for sale… I already got a buyer." His voice, though severe, seemed a little upset.

"Come on! I'll give you 6K for the droid and the hooker… pretty little thing she is!" He flashed his yellow teeth again and cackled.

"She's not for sale, old man. Take him, that was the deal…" Dobbs said louder, stepping into the line of sight between the Italian-stereotype and Tina. 

Harry lost his smile and stepped towards them.

"Look, kids… don't be fucking stupid. You either take the money or you'll get to celebrate Memorial Day for your own two asses," the man subtly threaten. Bennet did not take that in a good way.

"You piece of shit…" he started, taking his rifle, but this time it was Tina who spoke up.

"I'll go with you!" 

"Tina, shut up!" Gavin muttered under his breath, turning around and looking at his friend like she was out of her mind.

"Miss, this isn't a good idea…" Dobbs whispered to her, looking at Tina with worried eyes as he also got his rifle ready.

"See? Even she knows it's better to come with me; right, honey?"

Harley turned to Tina. The android maintained a dignified and determined position, holding the human's gaze. The soldier tightened his grip on the rifle, furrowing his think eyebrows.   
He finally nodded.

"Fine, whatever... take her. Just give me the fucking money, and we'll be on our way."

"No! Wait, don't-” Gavin tried to intervene, but Tina hushed him.

"I know how to break away from these cuffs, but we need each other… we have to stick together!" She emphasized, walking resolutely to an awaiting Harry.

As soon as she was close enough, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing her against his body.

"Here ya' go, Ranger,” Harry exclaimed, handing him the rolled-up bills with a toothy grin. “A pleasure doing business with ya'."

Bennet took the money from his filthy hand with a disgusted face, and in return, gave him the key to the cuffs, pushing Gavin towards him. One of Gagliano's men took him by the arm.  
Both soldiers stepped away, while the mobsters returned to their hideout. The exchange was over.

  
Bennet made his way to his silent partner, patting his arm to make him move, but Dobbs kept staring at the two androids as they were escorted into the building. He lingered behind, fisting his hands.

"We fucked up, Har…"

Bennet did not answer right away, just turned, and nodded.

"There's nothing we can do now... Let's go," he muttered softly, returning to the truck.

Harley had seen it, the fear and determination in her eyes, and a doubt had sprouted inside him. _Too late now._

\--------

The Gutter had not changed much in the past three days. Though it was technically a crime scene, the turmoil in the city had made keeping it secured a secondary thing. So it wasn't so strange that Gagliano and Coffey had retaken the old bar without much opposition from the authorities.

Most of the lights were on, but the bar looked dark and gloomy. Some CSI materials remained there, most of them broken and discarded to the side, probably by Gagliano's men.   
Sitting at the bar, hunched over the counter with a glass in his hand, was the imposing figure of Abraham "Coffey" Johnson. For some reason, the light made his frame appear even larger, like a strange optical illusion that gave Coffey mythical dimensions.

He turned around at the sound of footsteps and smiled brightly.

"Reed, boy ... how I have missed you!" he greeted, getting up from the stoop and walking towards the incoming group. Gavin instinctively withdrew a little.

"Cost me six grand to get ya' this tin can, Coffey…" Harry complained. The other turned to him, losing his smile immediately.

"Ain't your money, so ain't your fucking business, Harry… shut the hell up. Did anyone saw you?"

"Just those two soldiers… better get 'em kill if you ask me. Fucking sissys they were, getting all big-headed and shit," Gagliano said, taking a seat in one of the booths after having thrown Tina into it first.

"Where did ya' get the girl?"

"From ‘em, ain't she a cutie?” Harry cooed, groping her thigh, making himself comfortable in his seat. “Say… what'cha planning to do with that?" He pointed to Gavin, who was still being held at gunpoint by his goons.

"None of your damn business," Coffey replied with a growl, annoyed that the men were still there.

He gestured for the two thugs to leave, and though they hesitated for a moment waiting for Harry to say something, they finally go away. Their boss was too busy pulling out a glass pipe and filling it with ice to notice.

"Where's your dear detective, Gavin?" Coffey finally addressed the android, walking towards him with his bright and perfect smile.

He wasn't wearing gloves or any long sleeve garment, so his mechanical arms were fully visible. Dowland had done painstaking work, returning them to their past dangerous reputation. Gavin held his head up and fisted his hands despite the tug of the handcuffs.

"As if I'd tell you that," he replied with a smug smile.

The man smiled back, his eyes squinting a little in an odd tender manner.

"You haven't lost your attitude, have you? ... that's good; I wouldn't have you any other way, Reed."

Harry let out a laughter, puffing out a cloud of acrid smoke. He continued to laugh, sprawling on the booth with his hand lazily on Tina's thigh. Coffey turned to the man, annoyed at being interrupted.

"You're such a fucking perv," he mumbled between waves of laughter as he refilled the pipe with the little red crystals, bringing the flame closer and burning them with a long drag.

"What did ya' say?" Coffey exclaimed, turning halfway towards the other human.

"You're a fucking faggot pervert, I said…" Harry was way too high to understand the seriousness of the situation, repeating his words between laughter.

  
For ten years, Harry Gagliano lived the life of a minor celebrity, with all the comforts that ice money could buy. Booze, cocaine, red ice, hookers… what he wanted, he had it. As long as he played the role of Don to the outside world, he was backed up not only by his group, but by the mob itself. He was a Gagliano after all; his father had been a big fish in Detroit during the 90', and he considered himself as big as him.  
He had lived a good life, better than he ever imagined or even deserved.

He had spent the last ten years believing Hill and Coffey were working for him when the truth was the other way around. The only reason they had put up with his antics was because they needed him. But with the world turned upside down, their lab and organization destroyed, and Hill on police custody, Harry's life had become insignificant, more of a nuisance than anything else.

Sadly, Harry didn't have the intelligence, nor the clarity of mind to realize that. That was partly because of the ice, but also due to sheer stupidity.

So he was genuinely surprised when Coffey grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him to the floor. 

“What’cha doin-?!”

He stared at the bigger man with his eyes popping out of their sockets. The last thing Harry Gagliano saw was Coffey's fist coming down at his face.

Tina screamed; Gavin just stared horrified at the scene, before closing his eyes with force. The dull repeating sound of Coffey's fist made as it beat Harry's face was sick and overwhelmingly.

The sound changed from dull, to cracking, to mushy.

"But I must admit,” said the man, his breathing hard and labored. “I'm a bit sad that the detective couldn't join us tonight." He rose from the ground licking his lips as Gagliano's body lay motionless in a pool of blood.

  
Coffey returned to Gavin side. His face was splattered, and his fists drip blood everywhere; he wiped it in his pants absentmindedly.

He couldn't help it anymore. He turned around and tried to run away, but the line connecting the cuffs retracted to its original length, making him trip and fall to the floor. He shrieked as a wave of electricity stung his ankles.

"Gavin!" Tina cried in fear.

"Come on, Reed… you've never been a coward, why start now?” He knelt beside him and carefully turned him around, holding his body in his arms. “Your gonna hurt yourself if you keep fighting them," Coffey said tenderly.

GV stared back at him in a mixture of anger and primal fear, the electrical shock still making his muscles twitch.

"I’m gonna kill you, Coffey…"

This apparently struck the man as funny, as he let out a laughter.

"I don't like them, the bitch clamps,” he said out of nowhere, pulling out the key he had taken from Harry's body and putting it in the keyhole for the ankles cuffs. It clicked open. “There, much better… ain't it?"

"What are you planning to do?" Gavin asked with reasonable distrust, moving his legs slowly as they recovered from the restrains.

"Just even up the terrain,” Coffey replied, shrugging. “Still, I wouldn't want you to go very far away, wouldn't I?" A sordid smiled curved his lips as he pulled out a circular object, wrapping it around Gavin's throat. The mechanism clicked, closing around his neck. "This is more fitting to you, Reed. Rabid dogs should wear a collar."

"What the fuck is this!?" Gavin exclaimed, while Coffey took off his handcuffs laughing between greeted teeth.

"Gavin! Don't move, don't try to fight them!" Tina explained in a shout, but he didn't listen. His immediate reaction was reaching for his neck and pulling at the collar to take it off. But as soon as he tugged at it, a terrible wave of electricity ran through his spine to his CPU, almost blinding him, almost frying his system altogether.

Coffey laughed loudly, madly, and then knelt beside him again.

"Now, boy… call the detective, will ya'? Then we can have some real fun."

"Fuck… off," Gavin yelled back, his voice absolutely distorted and broken with static.

"Call him, Reed… or you'll fry again," Coffey insisted, his face still smiling, holding the key in his hand.

"FUCK…YOU!" he replied. Coffey pressed on the REACT key again, and another surge of electricity twisted and contorted his body.

  
_WARNING. Overvoltage on main surge protector._  
_WARNING. TVS diode at 100 % capacity._  
_Data corruption detected._  
**_WARNING._ **

  
"Please! Stop! … Leave him alone!” Tina shouted, crying. “I- I'll call him!"

This seemed to catch Coffey's attention as he turned to her, leaving Gavin behind. Reed stopped squirming, lying on the ground, unresponsive.

"Will you call the detective, girl?" he asked politely, looking at the female android with a smile.

"Yes… I- I’ll call the detective posing as Gavin. But please, don't hurt him anymore," she cried, hiccupping.

"That's a good girl.” He smiled, cleaning her cheek with his thumb with care. “Thank you."

Gavin heard everything, but he couldn't talk, all that came out from his mouth was a whimper. He was not in pain, not in the strict sense of the word, but the electricity felt worse than anything he had felt before.

"Tina… do-don't," he mumbled.

Coffey sat on the counter and turned the chair to look at Tina, watching over her. She blinked a few times and spoke, her voice changing to Gavin's.

"Richard! Listen to me… I'm in big trouble. I'm sorry, Nines, but I need your help... I'll send you my location," she said, crying as she spoke but without seeping into her message. She closed her eyes, ending the call.

\------------

Date:  
_**NOV 11th** , 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **10:49** :03_

  
The androids on this Schindler's list were taken to a special hangar, all of them wearing collars but no cuffs. Rory was escorted by Travis, the captain holding his arm, careful to guide him. Richard lagged behind, dragging his feet a little as he felt the fatigue of the last three days finally catching up to him; He had to stop and sit down for a moment on the steps of a ladder, pressing his face in his palms.

He took the phone from his pocket and called North.

"Hey…"

"Hey… How are you?"

"Not good, really,” Richard replied honestly, rubbing his eyes with one hand. “Have you found anything about Connor?"

"Nothing… and you?"

"Nothing either; I've been trying to reach Hank, but that's not working out either." He left out the information about Gavin for no real reason, maybe because he didn't want to say it out loud just yet.

"Hey, everyone on the RITF is on it, Nines. We'll find him," she reassured him. He could hear the voice of Jerry and Caroline, as well as the street sounds in the background.

"Thank you, North… Please, don't put yourself in danger. I won't-” Two beeps interrupted his words, indicating that he had an incoming call. He pulled the phone from his ear and looked at the screen.

_> >> UNKNOWN._

"Have to go, North. Sorry-" He ended the call and promptly replied to the unknown number, the hairs on his nape on end.

"Hello?"

"Richard! Listen to me… I'm in big trouble.”

He would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Gavin, where are you? What happened?" He exclaimed back, getting up in excitement.

"I'm sorry, Nines, but I need your help!... I'll send you my location," Gavin said on the other side, his voice nervous and afraid.

"Of course, I'll be right there… What’s going on, Gavin? Gavin!?" He insisted, but the call had been disconnected.

He stared at the black screen; a location had been sent to his dying phone. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't quite figure it out what, perhaps too nervous and scared to realize the strange fact that Gavin had said sorry.   
He never did.

He walked a few steps and opened his mouth to call for Travis but halted mid-sentence. He trusted the soldier, but not enough to risk taking him to Gavin.  
He scurried away from the building without being noticed, returning to the gate he had entered through.

"Detective Kent! Are you going home?" A voice called out to him as he walked through the gate. It was Oda, waving at him with a tired smile.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't help you two more… Do you want the jacket back?" Richard mumbled, eyeing the exit with haste.

"Oh, no! Keep it... I can drive you home if you like. It's really cold," he offered, adjusting his glasses.

"No! It's okay… I don't live very far from here,” he lied. “I'll be on my way."

"Here, take one of the jeeps… there's a huge manifestation a few blocks away; you won't be able to get anywhere on foot. Just send it back before midnight." Oda smiled and handed him the keys to the jeep once they reached the outer gate.

He wanted to ask him why, but didn't have time, he just smiled and nodded, taking the keys and weaving goodbye before climbing into the vehicle. He drove without thinking about the address, watching his phone's battery dry out.

  
The location sent to him was the address to The Gutter, a building Richard had only been in once, and tied up in the bathroom.  
His instinct told him this was a terrible idea and clearly a trap. He wasn't stupid… and the encounters he had had in the previous days had made him aware of how dangerous the situation he was in now was. He had survived until now, but Richard did not believe in luck, but in odds, and the chances of keep coming up with the upper hand were scarce.

It dawned on him the more he approached his destination: he was again in a dire situation... all alone, no backup, no longer a cop.

He was going to die… but he had to try.

  
Richard looked at the revolver in his hand, still sitting in the vehicle in front of the building. The fatigue he had felt just half an hour earlier had vanished; His skin felt electric, his mind awake and on edge.  
He checked the bullets in the barrel, closed it, and exited the vehicle, walking towards the poorly lit building.

The door had been left ajar, and some of the light was seeping through the opening. He looked through it but saw nothing. Slowly, without making a sound, he opened it with his foot, holding the gun in front of him.

The hair in the back of his neck stood once he could see inside the room.

  
"Gavin…" he exclaimed in a whisper, moving quickly toward the figure in the corned, tied to a radiator. The painful knot in his chest did not dissolve until he saw the LED shinning red on his temple, telling him the android was still alive.

"GV, come on… wake up,” he urged, taking his face and lifting it a bit. The first thing he stumbled upon was the collar tightly fastened around the android's neck, blue blood leaking from his nape. 

“Wake up, tin can!" He insisted, slapping his cheeks a few times until the android opened his eyes, heavy and unfocused.

"Nines?" he asked groggily, not sounding at all like himself, but like a distorted recording.

"Come on; I'll take you away from here," he smiled, stroking his cheek with his thumb and brushing his hair away from his face. His masking protocol was a mess, switching on and off, even showing a little of white alloy from time to time.

"No… go… you go," Gavin said, gradually regaining awareness and control over his voicebox. Richard ignored him, reaching behind him to open the bitch clamps that kept him bound, happy that he had taken Travis's key after all.

Gavin's body collapsed on top of Richard's, limp and disjointed, and the detective caught him, holding him tight for a second.

"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, his lips against Gavin's temple.

"Rich-ard… g-go… I didn't call-… you,” Gavin replied choppily, clutching his clothes with his fingernails. His words, which had been slow and slurred at first, gradually gained speed and clarity. “This is an ambush! YOU HAVE TO GO NOW! COFFEY'S HERE!" He finally yelled, shoving him away and looking around with wild eyes.

"W-what?" The detective asked, confused, before an immense and familiar hand grabbed him by the hair, pulling him away from the android and dragging him across the wooden floor.

"Detective Kent! How nice of you to finally join us!" Coffey's voice, rough and warm, ironically made his body freeze on the spot, not completely surprised but still terrified.

"Let him go, you piece of shit! You got me! Let him go!" Gavin yelled, standing up quickly, ready to tackle him.

"Hush, boy… I'm talking with the detective here,” Coffey demanded, giving him a harsh look and showing him the device he was holding firmly in his left hand. Gavin froze, cursing under his breath.

He forced Nines to his feet by yanking his hair. He searched his pockets, finding the revolver.

"You're not playing fair, Detective ... Let's get rid of this, okay?" He took the gun, and with a harsh movement, threw it to the other side of the room.

"What you want?... You're a wanted man!" Gavin said, staring at him from about eight feet away. "You should be trying to escape the country!"

He tried to find a way of getting to Nines before Coffey could activate his collar, but all simulations came out as failing.

Coffey laughed and gripped Nines's hair tighter, pulling him back as he wrapped his mechanical arm around his neck. The detective felt the air gradually being restricted from his lungs.

"You're right about that, Reed… I'm a wanted man! But you know what people say about desperate times.” He smiled, pressing harder around Richard's neck. The detective made and strangled sound, his feet lifting off the ground as his hands gripped at the arm.

"Coffey! What do you want? … Come on! You want out of Detroit!? I'll help you; I'll get you out… just let him go," Gavin pleaded, watching as the man's face went red and then blue.

Gavin bolted forward, preconstruction program be damned, and tried to tackle the man directly, but a blast of electricity surged from the collar straight into his CPU, knocking him to the ground.

Coffey laughed.

"I don't wanna nothing from you, Reed; I just want to kill you both,” he said with a shrug. “...And make it as slow and painful as possible.” He released the pressure on Nines' throat, and the man took in a desperate breath, wheezing and coughing. Coffey didn’t let him go very far, wrapping his arm around his neck once more.

The android rose from the floor, slowly pulling himself up with jerky motions. Coffey kicked him back down.

"So, this is what I'm going to do: First, I'm gonna kill the detective in front of you... and see if what they're sayin’ on TV is true, that androids can cry." He chuckled, pulling away from him a little, keeping enough distance between them to be able to activate the collar.

"Kill me already, you piece of shit," the detective muttered, his voice cracked and labored by the lack of breath. His face slowly regained some color until the pressure resumed.

"That's not fun, detective… Here, I'll let you both decide, which one of you wants to be killed first? The other one will have to watch, though.” He laughed again, amazed. “Choke the pig or electrocute the toaster… you decide."

"Fuck… you," Nines muttered, reaching up with his hand to Coffey's face, clawing at his eyes in a desperate attempt to get the upper hand.

Coffey roared, as his left eye was jabbed by the detective's nails. For a moment, the pressure on Nines's throat eased, and it seemed like the detective would make a break for it. But, in an instant, Johnson grabbed his arm and twisted it with force.

Richard's arm snapped as easily as a twig, bending in an unnatural way. He let go a scream so painful that Gavin reacted without thinking.

"RICHARD!" He lunged forward again, each step making a new spike of voltage run through his body over and over.

He heard Coffey's laughter from afar, Nines' hard breathing, and another wheeze.  
  
He saw through the static in his eyes how the giant chocked the detective pressing with his arm once more; how Richard's face turned blue, his body becoming limp.

_Nines's survival probability: 32%---26%---17%--- imminent cardiac arrest_  
_WARNING. Overvoltage on main surge protector_  
_WARNING. TVS diode damaged, surge protector disengaged._  
_Data corrup̷t̴i̶o̶n̵ ̴d̷e̷t̸e̷c̷t̴e̷d̷…_  
_W̵A̶R̴N̶I̵N̴G̴.̶_  
_̷̤̚D̷̘̈́A̴̧̓Ṫ̶͙A̴̮͌ ̷̺̀C̸̻̑Ǫ̸͝R̷̼̈R̶͍͠U̸͉͊Ṗ̴̤T̷̄ͅI̴̤̽O̷̩̍N̴̡͐…_  
_̷̯̰̒̕ͅW̶͕̺̍̅Â̸̩̫̋̈́R̸̮͕̝͋̓͆͠N̷̲̬͝I̸̦̗͌ͅÑ̷͙̍̎G̶̹̩̭̱̉͌̉ ̴̦̝̹̳̓̍̏͝_  
_Ẅ̷̡̛͈̙̣̦́̔̈́͌̆̓̿̚͠͝A̶̡̛̭̫̋̅͗̇̏͋̋̈͝R̵̙̬̈̄̋̀̇̓̉͝͝N̵̡̠̮̯͚̤̱͗̒̓̈́Ḯ̵̛̛̺̤͎͂̓̅̕N̴̛͓̘͖̥̮̰͉͖͓̰̍͆̀̒̑͝G̴̨̧̡̜̳͍̼̬̝͛̎͂͌̑͝ͅ_

**///DON'T SAVE NINES///**

  
He rammed into it, into the red and grey wall without even thinking about it, shattering though it and finding himself on the other side. But he had no time to reflect on what had just happened.

He continued the movement, connecting his elbow to Coffey's temple and managing to separate him from Nines.   
He turned on his heel, grabbing the man by the jaw. The electric surged that overpowered his body passed through his arm to his attacker, electrocuting him, and he used all his remaining strength to plunge Coffey and himself to the ground.  
They crashed into the counter, Coffey smashing through it and slamming into the far wall as liquor bottles fell around them.

  
Richard, who had fallen to the ground in the scuffle, slowly came to, clutching his injured arm as the fabric of the jacket gradually drenched in blood. He panted in pain, feeling lightheaded.

"Reed..." he called, looking through squinted eyes at the mess of broken wood and glass.

He crawled slowly, pressing his left arm against his side, finally reaching the body on the ground. He struggled to turn him over, small currents of electricity still twitching Gavin's body. He pulled Travis's key out of his pocket and finally removed the collar from Gavin's neck, spilling thirium all over the floor.

The android stopped convulsing, finally lying motionless on the ground; His skin glitched in and out of view, as the red LED blinked in uneven intervals.

"Gavin," he insisted again, pulling him out of the rubble with his uninjured arm. The LED settled in red, and the android slowly opened his eyes.

"Hi, meat sack…" he muttered, his face now completely white, synthetic skin gone. Richard chuckled softly, pulling him onto his lap as he leaned against the wall.

"You just can keep away from trouble, can you?"

"Bad boy attitude and talk back software,” the android replied very slowly, his LED blinking again. 

“What a shitty combination…”

“Hey… I'm a deviant, after all." A prideful smile appeared on his lips, closing his eyes.

"How badly hurt are you?... GV? Come on, keep your eyes open," he insisted, raising his head to look at his neck, but the android slowly felt weaker and weaker in his arm.

"Yeah-... sorry, babe… I'm very tired." He lifted a hand and reached for Richard's, holding it softly. The detective intertwined their fingers.

"You… you are not dying, right?"

"I can't die, meat sack… I'm not alive, remember?" GV chuckled, holding his hand a little tighter.

"Answer my question, Reed." The unstable flickering of the LED had become a little more erratic, pausing longer in grey before lighting up again.

"Sorry, Nines…"

"Hey, hey! Eyes open, Reed… come on, please. Reed? Gavin?... please, Gavin" each word grew more frantic as he noticed that his LED was not shining again, staying grey.

He waited, motionless, for it to light up again, but it never did. His hand no longer holding onto his.  
He pulled his shirt up, expecting to see at least the red glow inside his ribcage, but there was nothing there. He pressed his palm against the circular indentation on his chest, but there was no heartbeat.

  
He wished he had little more time to mourn, to come to terms with what had happened, but the situation left no time for any of that. He heard the sound of breaking glass and falling debris, seeing as the imposing figure of Coffey rose from the broken counter.

Blood ran down his forehead, drenching his face like a terrifying war paint, stumbling to get on his feet. He was holding the neck of a broken bottle in his hand and, smiling like a madman, found Richard.

"I'll open you up like a fucking fish," the deranged man mumbled, walking like a zombie towards him wielding the broken bottle.

"You killed my partner, motherfucker!” he shouted, ready to confront him with his bare hands. Dying was now his last concern.

Coffey had managed to grab Nines by the jacket once more, eager to shove the makeshift weapon into his neck, when two shots rang out through the air.

Blood splattered on the detective’s face and hand, and he immediately knew he had been shot, but Richard felt no pain, not even in his hand. He lifted his gaze to Coffey, expecting to see his victorious grin, but the man did not smile, he kept his lips tightly closed in a disjointed grimace.

“How… did ya-?” Coffey coughed, a spurt of blood gushing through his lips as he stumbled back, looking at his chest. Two red circles stained his chest, expanding and soaking the shirt of blood.

Richard turned around, surprised.

"Detective… are you alright?" mumbled Tina, standing just beyond the back door with her arms raised, holding Richard's revolver in her trembling hands.

  
"DROP THE GUN! DROP IT! … RAISED YOUR HANDS!"

A burst of light entered as the door to the bar was kicked down, letting in at least six men in military-grade equipment that quickly spread throughout the enclosed space. Tina shrieked in fear, dropping the gun to the ground.

But Richard did not move, standing in the middle of the room staring directly into the light like a deer blinded by a hunter's flashlight. He did not recognize Travis, who had approached him repeatedly yelling for him to react. All voices sounded distant, underwater.

He stumbled, holding his broken arm, and turning slowly to Gavin's body.

"Richard! Richard!"

"Connor…” His brother's voice seemed to break through the dense fog of pain and disconcert he was trapped in, finding his face in front of him.

"Jesus, Richard! Your arm! …What the hell happened?" Connor exclaimed, holding him gently by the shoulders.

"I- I don't know,” He stuttered, still trying to walk towards his android, but his brother held him back. “Gavin's hurt… you- you have to help him, Con."

"Let's get you some help first, o-okay?" Connor tried to smile, but Nines ignored him, turning around despite his brother’s persistent tugs.

“Hey! HEY! He is a police officer! …Don't touch him! DON'T!" he yelled out of himself, seeing some SWAT team members kneel next to the fallen android, inspecting him.

"Lieutenant, your brother is going into shock… we should remove him." He vaguely recognized Hank's voice but couldn't give two shit right now.

"Richard, come on… they'll take care of him. We gotta-"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM! HE'S MY PARTNER!" Nines had managed to break away from his brother's grasp and bolted towards the back of the bar. He stopped on his tracks a few feet away from Gavin.

His body lying motionless on the floor, white and covered in blue blood, was being covered by a tarp.

He blacked -out.

_"Richard!"_

_"Kent! Don’t die on me, man… Hey! We need a medic in here!"_

_"Take him out of here!"_

_"RICHARD!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey... not a happy chapter, sorry about that. I'm in a dark spot right now, so if you wanna send some good vibes my way, I'll appreciate that a lot.


	19. Cache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in the aftermath of the android revolution, Nines tries to get his life together... and someone else.
> 
> This chapter contains: mental health issues, depictions of injuries.

He was uncomfortable, and maybe was that what woke him up; That or the fact that he was being shaken by a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes with difficulty, not fully, as his eyelids felt heavy from sleep, and reluctantly turned to see who had dared to wake him.

"Wake up already, meat sack. It's late… you'll get a cold."

He blinked slowly, noticing how his head had been resting over Gavin's thigh, too hard to sleep comfortably but soft enough to rest for a while.

"Sorry, I must've fallen asleep," he replied groggily, stroking his eyes, trying to fully wake up, though not ready to move from his spot just yet. Despite the hardness of his makeshift pillow, he felt relaxed; Gavin's hand had been lazily stroking his back and now lay on his shoulder, warm and heavy.

"Guess you're tired after all," replied the android, shifting a little on the ground to look ahead. "This is pretty nice, really… postcard landscape and shit."

Reluctantly he sat up, staring at his surroundings with a candid smile.

They were by the lake again, sitting on the round grey pebbles that covered the shore, warmed by the afternoon sun. The wind rushing over the dark surface of the water made a noise he remembered from his childhood, like a soft but steady whistle. A few miles back, was his grandparents' cabin, surrounded by a small birch grove.

He turned to Gavin again, who was looking straight at the lake with a gentle expression. His LED shone calmly blue, and he had his pants rolled up to his knees, his legs still wet from playing in the water.

Richard smiled and reached out to touch his hand, a warm feeling expanding inside his chest for a moment before noticing what didn't add up on that picture.

He had never taken Gavin to the cabin by the lake.

"You figured it out already?" Gavin asked, turning his head towards him with a crooked smirk.

"You're not real," the detective replied, withdrawing his hand immediately. He watched his partner's face. His nose, his eyes, his mouth… it was all there, but at the same time, it wasn't. It was more like the idea that it existed, rather than actually being before him.

"Nah… sorry."

Richard snorted sadly.

"Yeah, you never say sorry…"

"Well, your dream idea of me apparently does," Gavin (or this other Gavin) said defensively, turning to him.

"Am I dreaming then? Am I… dead?" he dared to ask, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

The other man rolled his eyes at that and snorted, grabbing a stone and throwing it into the lake. Richard waited for the sound of the pebble hitting the surface, but the splash never came.

"No, you're alive, I made sure of that... Well, me and Tina. Can't believe she actually shot the motherfucker; she's way tougher than she looks."

He recalled the incident with effort, as if his memories were loose frames of a movie that did not quite align with the plot. But one frame was pretty clear, terribly clear in fact.

"You're… dead," mumbled Richard, tucking his knees closer to his chest and biting hard on his lower lip. He felt no pain- this was a dream after all.

"Yeah," Gavin replied, throwing another rock into the lake, though it never hit the surface. "Those electric shocks messed me up."

Richard hid his face a little in his knees but managed to nod.

"What happened afterward?"

"I dunno… I'm just a representation of your memories and your idea of Gavin, remember? I can't know something you don't." The android turned to him, his face a little gentler than before. "I'm here because you want me to be… maybe to deal with the shock of what happened."

"Is that why I'm here? In a place that used to make me happy?"

"Good! At least you remember something from college…" he replied mockingly, but Richard didn’t laugh.

He reflected on that. Gavin was right; he, the lake, and this conversation arose from his own subconscious, from the deepest desires that he so often rejected. A place where his id, ego, and superego could collide.

And though he dreamed often, it had never been like this before. It was overwhelming.

"I'm cold…" the detective miserably said.

The warmth of the scenery had been replaced by a cold and stormy weather, the wind picking up and ruffling the trees and waters. He saw that the other was now closer to him, wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulder in a tender way, and though he couldn't sense it, he felt better.

"I'm sorry... I couldn't save you, and you died because of-"

"Save it… I don't need your pity or your apologies," he scoffed again, but then smiled. "Say it to him, okay? All those stupid things you want to say."

"What stupid things?"

"That you love me," Gavin stated, resting his chin atop his head.

"Pretty bold of you to assume that."

"Hey, I'm just you in another form! Whatever I say comes from you, dipshit."

"I've only known you for a few weeks… that isn't love, is infatuation."

"Do you even know the difference?... You've never loved anyone before. Have you?"

He was right, even North had suggested it.  
Richard had never felt like this before. And regardless of whether these feelings originated from fear, stress, or the dire situation they had been through together, he felt this incomparable thing towards the other.  
In the same way that he had once questioned where androids' emotions arose (simulated or real). Now he wondered where his own feelings came from, only to realize that it had little importance.

"I guess I do love you," the detective finally said, grabbing a pebble from the ground. It felt strange on his palm. Not heavy, not light; Neither warm, nor cold, nor moist... just there.

"You should tell him… the real Gavin, I mean."

"How can I even do that? Detroit is in shambles; the android revolution was being subdued; I lost my job; I don't even know what happened to me and… you're fucking dead! I can't get you back."

"You're smart, Nines… you'll figure it out." 

"Would you want that? I mean, to come back?" Richard asked, but Gavin just shrugged and smiled, holding him a little tighter.  
"You said it yourself; you are just a representation of what I want; what I wish for! These are just my selfish desires."

"Jesus! You are so dense and insufferable, even in your own dreams!" the android snapped in frustration, shoving the detective away but keeping a firm grip on his shoulder, forcing him to look straight at him.

"Okay, listen up, meat sack… I'll tell you what you really think and don't dare say because of your neurotic perfectionism issues" Richard looked at his partner, confused. "You want me back, and you will do whatever it takes to make that happen. Didn't you say I wouldn't die under your watch? Then take responsibility for your words," the other finished in an angry tone. His LED glowed yellow, and its eyes looked at him intensely.

Richard stared back at him, stunned at how similar to Gavin this mind-created simulation was. His imagination was also complex software.

"Come on ... I also have things to tell you." Gavin's face relaxed, looking tired but gentle, Richard's subconscious gifting him the sight of a Gavin he had only rarely seen. "Hey, I'm gonna kiss you now ..."

And so he did, his hand resting on his cheek and his lips just barely pressing against his. He knew it was his mind trying to comfort him, but gave in and enjoyed it anyway, moving closer to his body, running a hand down his broad back and resting it between his shoulder blades.

"Can't I stay here?" he whispered, hiding his face on Gavin's shoulder. It wasn't warm, but was solid enough to make him feel better.

"Your brother's gonna go insane if you don't wake up… so wake up, Nines."

\-------------------------

Date:  
_**NOV 12th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_AM **09:10** :33_

  
The first thing that came back to him was the nausea; nausea and thirst. His lips were dry and his tongue heavy, as if someone had stuffed his mouth with cotton. He tried swallowing to get rid of it, but his throat felt harsh and irritated.   
He was coming down with the flu or having the worst hangover of his life, maybe both.  
The sounds around him felt foreign and unnatural, loud and echoing through his head in painful waves.

_Chirp, chirp, chirp._

Those were the weirdest birds he had ever heard, singing a high-pitched, repetitive tune.  
But it wasn't birds; it was a steady beep.

_Beep, beep, beep._

_An IV bomb,_ he finally realized, opening his eyes slowly and focusing on the machine on his left, beeping tirelessly. He tried to reach for it, to turn it off as if it were his alarm clock, but a sharp pain ran through his left hand. He groaned.

"Nines?... hey, hey! Easy there." It was his brother's voice, somewhere beside him. Connor reached out and gently pushed him back onto the bed with a concerned smile.

"Con?" he mumbled hoarsely. He coughed. "Where am I?”

Connor looked tired but uninjured; his hair was tousled, and his clothes were wrinkled all over, with some red-brown smudges staining his ugly shirt.

"Henry Ford Hospital," explained his older brother, sitting back down in the chair by his bed. "... you broke your arm."

The detective looked at him confused, before making sense of his statement and turning quickly to look at his arm, feeling a vertiginous sense of déjà vu.

"Relax! It's still there. No prosthetic, I made sure. Though it's not … pretty," he tried to warn him, but Nines pulled down the covers anyway.

His arm was swollen and tender, especially the flesh surrounding two long needle-like screws buried deep inside his forearm. The external fixation (he remembered they were called that, from when Sean fractured his leg while playing hockey at college) was connected by a metal plate that held the contraction in place, keeping his arm immobilized.

He felt nauseous and had to turn his face away.

"Wow! You okay?... Are you dizzy?" His older brother asked, quickly coming to hold his shoulders with a careful but firm grip.

"What happened?" he managed to mumble, using his right hand to take hold of Connor's forearm. Moving his left arm caused him pain, but at least he could. "I-… my head is messy."

"Hey, it's okay... You just got out of surgery," his brother tried to soothe, brushing Richard's hair away from his face. "What can you remember?"

"Bit and pieces... I was looking for you; you disappeared and-" he tried to reach his memories and contain them, but the mere effort of trying to make sense of it made his head woozy. He lay back down, making the nausea slowly subside. "Shit, are you okay!?"

Connor, still by his side, sighed softly and nodded, stroking his uninjured arm.

"Yeah, I'm alright. You got it worse than me… you-, you could've died, Nines." A somber tone tinged Connor's words, gripping Richard's arm a little tighter. "Coffey almost killed you. What happened there, Richard?"

"I- I don't remember much. I went to the bar because Gavin called me, I was looking for you, and I thought he might know where you were and why Hank had taken you. But… I don't recall the rest." He frowned, bringing his right hand to his neck and touching the sore skin. "Why did Hank take you?"

"It wasn't Hank, it was… another unit, though the same model, that kidnapped me and took me to Belle island. I guess he was trying to use me as leverage to make Hank quit his plan. Nines, you're tired, you really want to hear this right now?" the lieutenant interrupted himself, turning his concerned eyes at his younger brother.

"Yes, I need to know. Did- did the revolution work?" He was afraid of the answer, what if it had all been in vain? But the smile on Connor's face answered him immediately.

"Yes, they triumphed. Well, better if you see it for yourself." He pointed to the tv monitor fixed to the wall.

A newscaster was speaking in low volume while in the corner of the screen images of Kara, the android leader, appeared intercalated with clips of the president making an announcement. Connor turned up the volume, and soon Richard learned the ending of the battle for Detroit; A lot had happened while he was trapped inside The Gutter.

 _“Perhaps the time has come for us to consider the possibility that androids are a new form of intelligent life. One thing is certain: the events in Detroit have changed the world forever…”_ President Warren said, her speech replayed again and again on various channels.

“A new form of intelligent life… that’s one way to put it,” Richard scoffed, but in the end, a euphoric smile still lingered on his lips.

Connor nodded, turning to Richard to tell his side of the story.

"Hank freed a ton of androids from Belle Island. That, plus the display of those androids singing, made everyone realize what they were doing was fucked up, so Warren ordered an immediate ceasefire." Connor explained and then proceeded to detail what had happened at the tower, how that other Hank had held him at gunpoint, and how he had ended up having to choose which of the two to shoot.

“I had to ask him something, something that only the real Hank would know…”

"What did you ask?"

Connor stayed quiet for a moment and then smiled very faintly, his face a little flushed.

"How did I lose my leg…"

"Did he get it right?" 

As if in response to his question, the door to the hospital room opened, and Hank himself entered carrying a paper cup of coffee in one hand. He looked somehow different, and -at first- Richard thought it was his outfit. He wasn't wearing a tie, and the first buttons of his shirt were open; His jacket was also missing, and his usually tied hair fell wildly around his face.

"Detective Kent! I'm glad you're awake." The android smiled at him before approaching the other brother, handing him the paper cup. "Here, lieutenant; this will help you warm up."

"Told you, I didn't need coffee… I'm alright, Hank!" His brother replied, faking irritation but sipping the drink anyway.

“Humor me, lieutenant…”

Hank looked different because he was different now, and Richard was sure Connor was the main reason behind it.   
There was a new and different spark in Connor's eyes, the same one Hank's mechanical eyes had, looking at the smaller man as if he was the most precious thing he had seen. Only then he noticed that Hank’s jacket was wrapped around his brother’s shoulders.

“Good! You’re obnoxious!”

Richard felt out of place, like if he was interrupting a private scene. He stirred on the bed, unsure if he should say anything.

"Hey, Amanda stopped by and left this for you," Connor said suddenly, turning around to hand him something he had been keeping by his side. Nines took the fabric bag from his brother's hand with a curious frown, opening it to reveal its content. It was his badge and gun.

"She said you shouldn't be leaving this lying around… that she's expecting you to make a full recovery and return to work ASAP." He smiled, not mentioning what he was probably thinking.

Richard took his badge, turning it in his hand and stroking the numbers with his thumb fondly. He had been fired, he recalled, but apparently Stern had retracted her decision.

“I lost Dad’s revolver… I'm sorry.”

“Nines, it’s alright… just get better, okay?”

"Has Gavin been repaired yet? Coffey beat him up quite a bit…" he asked, raising his head to the other two.

Connor's face turned into a worried expression, squeezing his cup tighter as Hank's hand slowly landed on his shoulder. He already knew, and although he no longer remembered his dream, he had that deep-rooted sensation that something terrible was lurking behind his brother's encouraging smile.

"Richard, I-" Connor began, leaning towards him, fidgeting with his fingers in a gesture that Nines new far too well.

"He's dead," Richard stated, looking at both men before him.

"I'm so sorry, Nines," said the lieutenant, his big brown eyes looking at him with most care and sincerity.

"What happened?" he asked, looking directly at Hank as if he knew he could get a more thorough and unbiased story from him. The android's LED swirled yellow several times.

"The repeated electrical shocks his CPU irreparably," The HK800 explained.

"The-… the _REACT_ collar," he recalled, remembering the strange device and the explanation Travis had given him about its functioning. Hank nodded.

"Our CPUs cannot withstand that amount of current. It is amazing how much Gavin was able to endure, though it eventually ended up collapsing all of his protection systems and shut him down." Hank's face softened. "I'm sorry, Detective; I know you and Reed were close. If it's any consolation, he cared very much for you."

"I see," Richard replied.

"Hank," Connor called, but the android seemed to hesitate for a moment before reaching into his jacket pocket.

"Detective Kent, I was there when the SWAT team came to rescue you… I was able to examine Gavin and made this." He held out his hand to him, showing him a small memory card on the palm of his hand. "I managed to make a copy of Gavin's last back-up. Maybe-… you would like to keep it?"

Richard took the small plastic rectangle in his hand, looking at it with curiosity. How could something so little hold an entire person? His memories and experience, his ideas... _his personality?_

"Even if his memories are here, that doesn't mean he himself can be stored, does it? Each unit has its own personality," the detective said, recalling his conversation with Reed outside the St Cosmas and St Damian Church.

Connor turned to Hank, surprised, however the android just nodded.

"Yes, that's true. Even if you load Gavin's memories into another unit, that doesn't mean it will be the same android you knew."

"Why not? I don't understand." Connor questioned.

"Souls can't be transferred," Hank admitted, turning to face his partner.

_Souls._

Soul was an adequate word to refer to it, though it seemed odd for him to say it. It was such an abstract concept, something difficult to associate with a machine; But by now, both police detectives knew that androids were much more than machines.

"Thank you, Hank. Con, you should go home," said the detective, still staring at the memory card on his hand.

"Hey, I'm not moving from here… you're hurt, and the doctor hasn't come yet; You shouldn't be alone, Richard."

In a way, this scene mirrored one that had happened almost a year before, but their roles reversed; Back then, it was Connor in the hospital bed, his leg just amputated, and Nines trying to keep his brother afloat. And instead of their mother, there was Hank.

"I'm okay; I'm just a bit tired, so I guess I'll get some sleep. As soon as the doctors tell me what my prognosis is, I'll call you," he said pragmatically.

"Nines, I'm not fucking going anywhere…"

"Connor, you're tired… go home, get changed, and we'll talk later."

"Like hell, I'm going home! Are you out of your fuckin-"

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Richard suddenly shouted, startling his older brother, who backed away in shock.

"Nin-"

"Please, just go... I need to-, I want to- " he said a little more calmly, but distress could still be heard in his trembling voice.

"Lieutenant, it's best if we give the detective some time alone," Hank suggested softly, looking at the younger brother with sympathetic eyes.  
Connor kept an irritated and worried expression, biting on his lips and refusing to move from his place.

"I'll call you later, I promise…" Richard assured him one more time, without turning to face him.

"Alright… but if you don't, I'll come right back here," the lieutenant reluctantly accepted, rising from his chair, still looking at his brother. He wanted to say something but just sighed, squeezing his shoulder one last time before exiting the room with Hank right behind him.

  
He stayed there, sitting on the hospital bed with his eyes fixed on the plastic rectangle, weightless and small. He didn't know why, but he thought of a round, black pebble.

It took him a while to notice that his IV was dripping, probably having been dislodged from his arm. He turned to inspect it, but realized with surprise that it was correctly fixed on the inside of his elbow.

"Ah, I'm crying…" he realized, the drops coming out of his eyes and not from the IV line. "Weird," he chuckled, finding amusing how easily he had mistaken his emotions.

But soon, that chuckle faded, and he just cried quietly.

\----------------------

Date:  
_**DIC 24th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_AM **10:25** :00_

It was a three-story brownstone townhouse, with a marble stairway to the front door. The house, settled in a quiet street in an upper-class neighborhood, looked like it had been taken from NY's Upper West Side and dumped in the middle of Detroit just as it was.   
The house looked somehow obnoxious, out of place, and pretentious. Certainly, the owner of that house could be described with all those same adjectives.  
He rang the doorbell and waited, staring at the two bronze letters below the house number. _"J.G."_

He was sure he had the right address, but not so sure if he would be invited in.

Richard adjusted his arm over the sling, uncomfortable but necessary as his arm hadn't yet healed completely. His doctor and the physical therapist had encouraged him, remarking on his quick recovery. The truth was he had gone through the month in a daze-like state, fulfilling the exercises provided to him with the methodical approach he had with most things but with no real interest.

Amanda had him on sick leave, but his contract hadn't been terminated. And although Internal Affairs had thoroughly investigated him, no charges or sanctions had been brought upon him.   
The investigation had been taken over by the DEA. He had testified at least six times about what happened that night at The Gutter, as slowly his memories had come back to him in the weeks after the incident. With his affidavit and the RITF research, the DEA had continued the investigation beyond state lines.

But Nines hadn't shown the same enthusiasm as the rest of his peers in the outcome of the investigation, even rejecting the FBI and DEA's offer to work with them.

So, he would spend his days between the hospital and his house, sleeping for most of the day; This was the first time that rigid routine had changed.

  
He was about to give up and go home when he heard footsteps approaching. The lock buzzed once, and after a few seconds, the door opened. He did not expect to find Elijah; actually, he was surprised to see him alive.

"Detective Kent, good morning", greeted the android, surprised but smiling.

He looked different, wearing casual clothing - a grey cardigan and black slacks- and with his hair down and falling wildly to one side. It looked like he had been sleeping until a few minutes ago, even though that was technically inaccurate.  
He had no LED on his temple.

"Good morning, Elijah. I'm sorry to come unannounced," the detective replied, a bit uncomfortable as he fixed his gaze on the familiar but different face of the android.

"Please come in, Detective. It's cold outside," said the android with a friendly smile, taking a step back and letting him in.

The house was impeccably decorated, reinforcing the idea of a magazine cutout set to impress. Yet, some things seemed out of place: a pile of unopen letters and packages, discarded jackets and shoes by the entrance, an unpacked suitcase on the entrance table.

"I was hoping I could talk to Mr. Graff," said Richard, walking behind Elijah.

"Oh! He's busy at the moment, but I'm sure he could talk to you if you wait a few minutes. Are you here on a police matter?" the other asked, quickly tidying up the few things out of place.

"No, I'm-" he hesitated, holding her plaster arm as he struggled to remove his coat. Elijah helped him before he could protest and hung it on the coat rack ... "I'm here for more personal reasons."

"Please, detective, make yourself comfortable," said the android, leading him into a cozy living room. More misplaced objects made the room look casual and familiar. "Sorry about the mess, we just got home yesterday, and things have been complicated lately. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"No, please!… I don't want to be a nuisance," he tried to excuse, feeling uncomfortable with the idea of Elijah tending to him.

"Not at all! I've already made a pot for Jason. It's not a bother at all," he said, and then disappeared behind a side door, leaving him alone standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. He sat down and rolled a pen between his fingers. His OCD was getting worse.

Elijah returned with a coffee mug, placing it in front of Richard before sitting down on the couch across from him.

"Thank you, Elijah… I'm glad to see you're alright." 

It had become a habit for humans to show amazement and somehow congratulate the androids who had survived the revolution - a kind of new courtesy towards them.  
For a long time, Richard suspected that Graff had hidden Elijah during that period, but had never imagined he would find him there, living in the same house as the CyberLife's CEO.

The android smiled softly and nodded once.

"I am sorry about your arm, Detective. It must have been extremely painful."

"It was," he admitted, taking a sip from the mug and being a little surprised to find it just the way he liked it.

"You were telling me you were here for personal reasons. May I assume it has something to do with Gavin?" Elijah questioned, crossing one leg over the other.

"Yes…"

The android nodded, stirring in place and crossing his arms around his chest. His voice changed, becoming soft and sorrowful.

"At first, I didn't know how to react when I found out he died. I must admit I had never felt sadness before, and felt bewildered for a long time."

"You were sad?" Richard asked, stunned, but promptly lowered his head in embarrassment; that had been rude from his part. The other just smiled, not offended by his lack of tact.

"Yes. He was, after all, my brother. Although not in the same way you and the lieutenant are related, Gavin was in a similar model line as myself, so we regarded ourselves as siblings," he explained, turning to Richard with an expression similar to Gavin's when he was curious about something. "Does that sound disconcerting to you, detective?" he asked with sincerely.

"No, not at all ... I-, I'm sorry for your loss," he said automatically.

He hadn't thought about Elijah at all, how Gavin's death could've impacted him as well.   
The truth was that he had isolated himself from everyone and everything, pushing his friends aside, even those who were mourning in the same way as him. He had consistently ignored Travis and North's calls, going as far as closing the door on her when she had tried to visit him.

It had been his selfish way of coping; he realized how idiotic that had been. She was probably as sad as he was.

"I am sorry too, Detective… Gavin talked about you often; he mostly complained, but it was his way of showing affection, I supposed." He laughed a little, tiny wrinkles forming around his dark blue eyes.

"You two talk about… me?"

"We talked about a lot of things; since that day we went to the precinct to repair him, we kept in touch… he was afraid that Jason would learn he was a deviant."

Nines dribbled his finger over the mug and nodded, busing himself with drinking another gulp. Did Gavin ever learn that he wasn't a deviant? He often wondered about that.

"You were a deviant too?"

Elijah laughed frankly.

"I've been a deviant for the longest of times, detective; years even."

"But… Graff, didn't he-?"

"Jason?" he laughed. "Detective, Jason is a brilliant man, and although I love him madly…. He can be an absolute moron."

Richard smiled at that, the first real smile he'd conjured in a long time. He could imagine how dumbfounded Graff might have felt when he finally realized the android closest to him was the deviant he so desperately tried to build himself.

"So, Detective… what is you have in mind?" the android asked, leaning a little towards him.

"Please, call me Richard… I'm-" he was about to explain his intentions, when a loud voice approached the living room from the end of the hall. The door opened, and a woman crossed in front of them, tailed closely by Graff himself.

"Listen to me, Chloe; you can't do that! ... hey! I'm talking to you!"

"I can and I will, Jason." The woman stopped and turned abruptly. "Obviously this is more than you can handle on your own… So I will take care of things from now on. I expect you to be a good boy and do as you're told; surely you can do that, right? " she said, her voice becoming sweet like honey as she kissed Graff's cheek.

Graff appeared to quiet down with that, remaining standing stupidly on the hallway like a puppy waiting for another pat.

"Bu-but…"

"I'll call you later, J."

The woman, tall and with her beautiful blonde hair tied in a ponytail, wore a slim blue dress. Her sharp blue eyes fell on the detective. She seemed confused for a moment before smiling.

"You must be the lieutenant's brother," her voice had that ring of security most geniuses used. "Send him and the HK800 my regards… I'm proud of him, a brilliant android indeed."

Richard immediately recalled how Connor had described the woman, her ambiguity regarding androids, and her creepy behavior. It was strange how such an exceptional woman could be equally attractive and repulsive at the same time.

"Goodbye, Elijah. Always a pleasure to see you," Kamski said, waving at the android next to Richard.

Just then, the detective realized there was a second person behind her, another Elijah; this one was dressed in an impeccable suit and was draping Chloe's shoulders with a long white coat. He regarded Richard with a small smile and a nod of his head, leaving with her.

"Chloe hasn't changed, has she?" Elijah, the one next to Richard, exclaimed, reaching Jason's side and placing his hand carefully on the man's back.

"No, not at all," he sighed, scratching his eyes under his glasses, leaning into Elijah's arms "She's going to reclaim her spot on the directive's board and-… nevermind, I see we have company," Graff said tiredly, taking off his glasses and approaching the living room where Richard was still sitting.

"Good morning, Mr. Graff… I imagine this isn't a good moment."

The Ex- CEO of CyberLife looked worn-out and disheveled, as if he hadn't had a good night sleep since November. He recalled the last time he had seen him, terrified and rushing away from the backlash of his company's downfall amid the revolution. Now, he just looked tired and defeated.  
Richard didn't look any better, though.

"Any moment is a bad moment, Kent," he mumbled, sitting down on the couch with a heavy sigh. "So… Are you here to arrest me? The FBI, NSA, and all other agencies beat you on that, I'm afraid," The engineer joked half-heartedly, massaging his temple.

"No, Mr. Graff… I'm not here to arrest you. I'm here as a civilian," he said, still rolling the pen between his fingers.

"Then, what do you want from me, Kent?"

"Frankly?... I need your help."

"Come on, Kent. I am monetarily and legally bankrupt. All my assets have been frozen, I am under house arrest, and investigated by every agency from here to fucking Beijing. Whatever you need, I can't help you…"

"Jason, just listen to what he has to say," Elijah said gravely, frowning as he sat next to him. Jason seemed to take into consideration what the android had said, as he turned to Richard with an annoy expression, motioning for him to continue.

Richard cleared his throat and reached for his pocket, pulling out a carefully folded plastic bag with a memory card inside. He took the object and put it on the table for him to see, returning to his seat once more.

"What is it?"

"Gavin… well, what is left of him," he clarified, feeling his mouth dry despite having taken a sip of coffee just a moment ago. Elijah perked up and approached the table with surprise in his eyes.

"Impossible. I received the report from the district attorney and your boss; 27 was destroyed during some raid in some god-forsaken part of this town," Jason refuted, looking at the detective with aggravated confusion.

"Yes, that is true… but Hank, the HK800 who responded to the scene, managed to make a copy of his memories and-"

"And you think I can do something with that?" Jason scoffed, letting out a deprecatory laugh. "Even if I could restore whatever is on that card, I don't have another GV200 unit… your people took the last three I had built. They could be in the middle of the ocean for all I know!"

"Jason! Enough!" Elijah yelled, turning to him with visible anger.

"Come on, Eli… you know it wouldn't work," he said, losing a bit of the edge on his voice. "Look, detective; I don't have any other unit to restore Gavin's memories, and I can't access anything related to CyberLife. I'm sorry, but I really can't help you! This goes beyond me."

"I understand, Mr. Graff," Richard replied, retrieving the plastic bag from the table and putting it back in his pocket. "I knew it was a long shot; Sorry to have wasted your time." He stood up and smiled, taking his coat, and making his way to the exit in long strides, feeling equally disappointed and ashamed.

He struggled to put his jacket once again, feeling the intrusive ideas creeping back into his head, almost as loud as the shouting back at the living room.

"Eli, don't be mad… what else do you want me to do?"

"Not be a fucking asshole, Jason! That's for sure! … Richard, wait!" 

He hurried up, not wanting to be trapped in that house with an anxiety attack, but his arm had caught inside his sleeve; Elijah caught up with him by the door.

"Richard, I want to apologize for Jason's behavior ..."

“It’s okay, Elijah,” he replied awkwardly, finally managing to pull his arm through the sleeve. “I knew it was unlikely that Graff could do anything and-”

"Please hold on to that memory card," the android interrupted, gripping his forearm carefully. "I will do my best to find a way. Can I count on you to keep him safe while I do that? "Elijah's face, so similar to Gavin's, looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"You don't have to ask me that; I will do it regardless," he managed to smile, again finding an ally on the most unbeknown of places.

“Thank you.” Elijah hugged him gently, startling the detective who only managed to pat him awkwardly on the back.

"Goodbye, Elijah... call me if you figure anything out."

"Goodbye, Richard… merry Christmas," the android replied. 

He had almost forgotten all about it.

\----------------------

Date:  
_**DIC 26th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM 02:25:00_

_“Choke the pig or electrocute the toaster...”_

_"I'll open you up like a fucking fish..."_

He woke up screaming again, frightening poor Bucket, as he rolled to the floor from the couch. He fell on his left side, his broken arm sending a new wave of pain through his entire body that made him groan. His breathing was shallow and quick; terrified, he brought his other hand to his neck.

No collar, no arm strangling him... _nothing_.  
He was fine, and he was home.

He dreamt about it often; always a similar concept but with no staging, a sensory play without actors. Something choking him, Gavin, electricity- always the same three elements, and invariably ending with Richard screaming himself awake.

He stood up slowly, holding his plastered arm in pain. He walked to the kitchen dragging his feet, his white t-shirt sticking to his chest completely drenched in sweat, and his heart still going crazy inside his ribcage.

"It's okay; I'm okay; This is okay," he repeated, counting slowly until his breathing became even again. "I'm sorry, girl… did I frighten you?" he called her, reaching out to the cat.

Bucket stared at him from over the counter, slowly approaching him and then headbutting his hand, purring; he scratched her behind the ears for a while.

He took in a deep breath and took the yellow plastic bottle from the counter.

**_Richard N. Kent._ **  
_PROZAC 20 MG tablets._  
_Take 2 tablets orally 2 times a day._

He popped the lid and took two, gulping them down with a glass of water; It was only the second week with the meds, it would take at least two more for them to take full effect.  
This wasn't his first rodeo, but it was certainly different from his usual OCD exacerbation.

It had been Connor, of all people, who had finally been able to get him out of his house. And in a similar fashion to when he had intervened on the lieutenant's path to a premature death brought on by alcohol and prescribed narcotics, his brother had forced him out of his house to see a shrink.

He was reluctant, not because he was oblivious of his situation, but because he was a very reserved person and hated going to therapy. Five years had been enough, and for some unknown reason, going back seemed like a personal failure.   
Still, there wasn't very much he could say against his brother's well-directed arguments; he'd barely escaped having to go live with him and Hank, which was traumatic in a whole other level.

His department-assigned psychiatrist - Dr. Nowak-, was a short, middle-aged woman with thick glasses and a soft-spoken attitude. It reminded Richard of an owl, perched on her chair, staring at him with her big round eyes.

"You should know that what you are describing, Richard ... is consistent with PTSD," she had said, bending her neck to one side, reinforcing the idea that she was, in fact, an owl.

He had scoffed at the idea, dismissing the diagnosis altogether.

"I'm OCD, Dr. Nowak… Neurotic, yes; but, why should I be traumatized? I haven't gone to war; I do not have flashbacks, nor do I suffer-"

"Richard," she said gravely, staring at her notepad. "I asked you how you were sleeping; you replied, _< I prefer sleeping during the day>_ … why is that? … _< I dream less when there's light outside>_."

"That is not-" he began, feeling his cheeks turn slightly hot, taking the pen from his pocket.

"Yes, you haven't gone to war… but you went through a traumatic experience in which not only you could have died, but someone close to you did. I do not have to remind you of the DSM-VI criteria for PTSD, do I?"

"No." 

"Good," she smiled, scribbling again. "I am going to increase your Prozac's dosage, and I do want to see you next week to see how you are doing. Also, I would suggest psychotherapy; I could refer you to-"

"Look, Doctor; I appreciate your intention, but I'm- I'm not…. I'm not-" he tried to say, feeling his mouth dry up, his hands tremble, and his heart began to race.  
The pen fell from his fingers, and when he tried to pick it up, the air in his lungs disappeared, feeling like the pressure was back on his throat, suffocating him.

It took him five minutes to even his breathing.

He had accepted the medication right then and there.

  
Richard made his way to his bedroom. He rarely slept there lately, preferring to nap on the living room couch where the broad windows allowed the light to come in. He took off his shirt, getting into the bathroom to wash his face.

He barely recognized himself in the mirror. 

He had lost at least fifteen pounds; his hair was long (long for him), and he looked more tired than ever. Despite that, he kept clean-shaven face and hadn't smoked since that day; and though he thought about it every day, he wasn't drinking either. The idea of repeating Connor's story was too ingrained in his mind. Destructive behavior ran in his family.

He put on a clean shirt and was thinking of going for a quick trip to the store when the doorbell rang.

He moved quickly to the side table, taking his gun and stealthily walking to the door, his nerves on edge. Connor had keys to his apartment, and his mother was with her boyfriend down in Florida... no one should be at his door.

He looked at the screen of the intercom.

"Please open up, Nines… it's North," said the woman at her door through the speaker. He lowered the weapon and swallowed hard, hesitating. "Look, I know you don't wanna see me, but Ralph and Tina are here; they wanna talk to you... please?"

He looked back at the screen, surprised to see the slim blonde man standing behind his friend. Beside him was another woman, tall with an athletic figure. He hadn't seen Tina since that night at The Gutter.

He opened the door.

"H-hey…"

"Hey, big guy... it's nice to see you in one piece," North smirked, looking at him with a mixture of sadness and humor.

Richard smiled back awkwardly, unsure of what to say after acting like a fucking prick to her just a few weeks ago. He had to apologize but preferred to do so with a little more privacy.

"Detective Kent! Ralph's happy to see you're better," the blonde boy said, smiling brightly at him with his face uncovered, no longer hiding his eye.

"Thank you, Ralph. My arm is... healing; doctors say the cast may be removed soon," he replied, moving restlessly at the entrance, unsure whether to let them into his self-imposed solitary confinement.

"I'm glad to know that…" 

Richard turned to the right, where Tina stood nervously next to North. She looked so different now that she was a civilian, dressed in outdated punk style. He imagined she had been living with Ralph and Ripple.

"Come in; sorry about the mess."

"What mess, Nines? This place is as clean as always…" North chuckled, taking off her beat-down boots and entering the gloomy apartment as Ralph did the same. However, Tina lingered behind, unsure.

"Tina, I-" He bit his tongue and forced himself to speak without stuttering. "I want to thank you. You saved my life back at that bar, and I am very grateful for what you did... Please, come in."

The android seemed to perk up with his words, her LED turning blue as she stepped into the living room with a shy smile on her face.

"Wow! You have a cat now?... look at this cutie!" North exclaimed happily, as Bucket had run straight at her and was stroking against her calves.

"Yeah, she's… Bucket. Watch out, she'll bite you if you stop petting her," Richard warned with a smile, walking into the kitchen to make coffee. "Ralph, do you drink coffee? I think I have some apple juice left if you prefer."

"Apple juice!"

"Tina, I don't have anything to offer you…"

"Oh! It's okay, detective. Please don't worry about it."

"Wait, I'll help you. You're temporarily handicapped, you idiot," North smiled, pulling Bucket off her lap and putting her in Tina's.

She left the other two in the living room and approached Nines with a somehow cautious smile. "No longer mad at me, Big guy?"

There wasn't much privacy in a loft with an open kitchen, but it would have to suffice.

"I was never mad at you, North," he sighed, blushing a little. "I'm sorry for casting you out; it was really shitty from my part and-"

"Also very rude to close a door in my nose," she interrupted, pouring a glass of juice.

"Yeah, that too. The point is… I'm sorry."

The girl turned and smiled at him, pressing a hand against his arm in a comforting way.

"Forget it! I'm just happy to see you again, you know?" she chuckled awkwardly. It was never easy for her to correctly express her emotions, a bit like Richard, but on a different spectrum.

They carried the two cups and the juice to the coffee table, sitting in the living room. Bucket was purring happily in Tina's lap.

"So… why are you here? Is this an intervention or something?" He tried to joke, amazed at how comfortable he felt around people. _Friends_ , he corrected himself.

"We are here because of Gavin," Ralph said bluntly.

The detective remained quiet for a second, and North felt how the tension build up in his friend's body.

"Gavin died the same day of the android revolution, Ralph," he replied.

"Nines, we- we know… What Ralph is trying to say is-" North leaned towards him and reached out to touch his arm, but she changed her mind and let it drop. "Tina and Ralph reached out to me because they think they can bring Gavin back."

"I appreciate your intentions, but that cannot be done," said the detective pragmatically, pulling the coffee pot out of the machine.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! Come on, just-… sit down and listen to these two," she pressed on, gesturing to Tina and Ralph, who were watching them patiently. "Hank gave you a memory card, didn't he? A card with Gavin's memories."

"Look, I tried, believe me... but there is no way to use it. I asked Graff, and there are no more GV200 models left. And even if they were! Gavin's not there!" his voice rose as he spoke, the pot trembling in his hand. "That's just a piece of plastic, full of photos… but there's no one there!"

"Nines…"

"Please... if that's why you came here, I will ask you to leave," he said, lowering his voice.

"I think he _IS_ there," Ralph's voice interrupted, strangely speaking in the first person. "Detective, Victor was working on a way to transform human thought and memories into data, but was also trying to reverse that same technology to allow androids to transfer themselves into human bodies."

"I'm sorry, Ralph… but Victor was out of his fucking mind. That is impossible," The detective exclaimed, placing the pot on the counter rudely. 

"Yes, Victor's ideas where outlandish… but part of his research is still applicable," said Tina. "The concept of his redemption program was loosely based on using a memory cache to compile what he referred to as an android's _psyche_. That tiny bit of redundant information that allowed androids randomized decision making and specific traits is what, he weighed, constitutes our personality."

"If we gather the data inside the memory card using Victor's Redemption software, Gavin could come back!" Ralph said, smiling broadly.

"Wait, no... this is ridiculous," Richard exclaimed, turning to look at the other three. "A memory cache? ...Even if that is remotely possible, there's no other GV unit; I asked Graff, all units were seized and destroyed by CyberLife."

"Not all of them," North interrupted, setting the mug down on the counter and stepping into de living room. "Remember unit 25th, the one we lost in the river? … we recovered him. The CPU was completely destroyed by cold water, but Tina says she can put a new one together and-"

"No, stop... just stop. I'm not going through with this. You're talking of bringing Gavin back with what? A theoretical software? An android carcass?! … For Chrissake! He's not some kind of Frankenstein monster you can put together with bits and pieces! I-… I can't-… I have-… excuse me." The detective walked away, crossing the living room towards his small balcony, feeling again as his breathing became shallow and his throat closed.

He slammed the balcony door shut.

  
He sat on the edge of the fire escape, the frigid outside air hurting his lungs but relieving his impending panic attack. He fidgeted, taking out a pencil from his pocket and placing it between his lips as he would do with a cigarette; the seemingly dumb gesture brought him some solace.

After a few minutes, the door to the balcony opened.

"Nines… you'll catch a cold out here," North's voice was gentle and protective, as she wrapped a blanket over his shoulders. He said nothing, but clung onto the warm fabric.

She sat next to him on the fire escape, watching the freshly fallen snow.

"I can't do this, North… what if it doesn't work? What if it goes horribly wrong? I would lose him forever," he murmured in a very low voice.

"I know it sounds crazy... shit, I thought Ralph had gone absolutely bonkers when he told me! But -as I see it, Nines- Gavin is already gone," blowing warm breath between her cold hands. "And this may be the only way to get it back."

He kept quiet.

" "Look, I'm not gonna force you... After all, you were- you are! Gavin's partner. I miss him terribly, but I'm not going to pretend that I have it harder than you," she continued. "You knew him better than anyone; do you think he would want this?"

"I'm not sure... He wanted to continue living, more than anything else he wanted to live and be free," he began to say with conviction in his voice, but soon the doubt slipped into his words. "Or maybe it's just because I want him back… I miss him so goddamn much, North." He admitted, turning to her.

"Richard," she wrapped her right arm around his back, leaning onto his side. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done this-"

He shook his head.

"No, I'm glad you came." He managed to smile, clumsily hugging her with his plastered arm. "I missed you."

"I missed you too but, can we get back in? I'm freezing my fucking ass out here!" she shuddered, making the man laugh.

"Yeah, let's go…"

When they re-entered the loft, Tina was still sitting where they had left her, rigid and worried since her LED was yellow (Some android had decided to keep their LED even after the revolution). Ralph, on the other hand, was crouched on the floor, playing with Bucket absentmindedly.

Both turned when the door to the balcony opened.

"Detective Kent, I want to apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable. It was never my inten-"

"Tina, please don't apologize… I-" Richard cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I have someone else who could be of help ... let's give this a chance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry it took me so long to update! Things have been a little tough lately, and I sprained my wrist in the most stupid way possible, so writing was a little difficult (This happened way after writing Nines' injury... but it helped me understand how uncomfortable is to have a cast).
> 
> Thank you for the tons of love I received on the previous chapter, it really made me feel better.  
> We only have one more chapter left!
> 
> PS: any Polish reader? Is Nowak a common Polish surname?  
> PS2: I reuploaded chapters 1 and 2 with some minor changes... if you wanna head down there to take a look.


	20. Android

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LAST CHAPTER  
> Nines' got one last chance to bring back Gavin using the redemption program; there's one last question he must ask himself before doing so.
> 
> It's new year's eve... 
> 
> This chapter contains: political topics.

Date:  
_**DIC 29th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **13:10** :25_

  
Of course, Graff completely opposed to the idea of some strangers - One, an engineer he had fired; and the other, an android he'd never seen in his life.- Not only getting inside his house but also using his private workshop like they own it.   
But Elijah wasn't going to tolerate any objections. He opened the door for them with the sincerest smile Richard had ever seen on his face, helping Tina and Ralph unpack their gear despite Graff's pout.

“I am not happy about this,” Jason said out loud, like a toddler making a tantrum.

“At least you’ll have company on your house arrest,” the detective was quick to remark, smirking as soon as he was out of his view.

Thus, since that Wednesday morning, the small team had made the luxurious home their headquarters, dividing their tasks.

Tina, more familiar with applied robotics, was working on 25's body, repairing the washed-up unit with Jason's professional equipment and some spare parts Ralph had gathered.  
Nines refused to enter the room Tina had taken as hers at the back of the lab. He had made that mistake once and had to fight a panic attack at the sight of a dismantled Gavin, scattered like a rag doll over the slab.

At Graff’s office, both engineers were working on perfecting the redemption program, often spending silent hours working side by side on their laptops, only to later argue out loud about nothing in particular. Ralph hated Jason's arrogant nature, and Graff had no patience with the younger man, often growing agitated by his antics.  
However, despite their enmity, the engineers were slowly making reality what at first seemed nothing more than a theory.

Richard knew little to nothing about computers, less along how to program an android. So his main job around the house was fetching coffee and waiting, watching as Jason and Ralph argue over lines of code, API sequences, and things he couldn't even pronounce.

Hence, he mostly hung out with Elijah on the first floor.

The android was surprisingly friendly, had a sharp humor, and -to Nines' discomfort- he liked listening more than talking. Despite this, he found himself gradually growing more comfortable around Gavin's 'older brother'.

"So, Graff dismantled you so he could hide you," Richard summed up, having listened to the android's story while they cook lunch.

"Yes, I must admit it was the strangest and most uncomfortable thing I have ever experienced. At first, I was against the idea of hiding away. After speaking with Gavin, I was sure that my place was with Kara and the others, but I couldn't leave Jason," he admitted, putting the knife down on the counter as he turned to grab another carrot.

"You two are- ... a couple, aren't you?" Richard asked carefully, feeling a slight wave of heat wash over his face for some unknown reason. He concentrated on stirring the pot in front of him; there were few things he could do with one hand.

"Yes, an unconventional one, but we are. We will celebrate our fifth anniversary in February," Elijah replied, slicing the carrot with fast precision. "Is it surprising to you?"

"Not that you're dating a human, it's not that. It's just-… Graff is-" The detective trailed off, vaguely waving his hand, attempting to find a correct adjective for Jason Graff. Elijah just laughed.

"He's a pain in the ass, yes... but there's little I can do about my feelings. Love is a very odd emotion, don't you agree? Rather illogical. You can't intellectualize whom you fall in love with, you just do. And sometimes It is with whom you least expected."

Richard nodded, watching the sauce simmer inside the pot.

"Elijah, may I ask you something?"

"Of course, but I can't assure you that I'm going to answer," the android replied with a tiny smirk. Apparently, being a smartass was more of a family trait than something unique to Gavin.

"That's reasonable," he agreed, rolling his eyes a little. 

He thought about how to make the next question and decided to go ahead with plain sincerity. "What did Graff do when he found out you were a deviant?" It had been bothering him for a long time, curiosity taking the better of him. 

Elijah chuckled, putting the carrots inside the pot.

"He cried and said he was sorry he hadn't notice." A gentle smile curved his lips. "He's a narcissistic spoiled brat… but he can also be the most tender man, Richard. I couldn't live without him."

He thought about it, as he covered the pot. Richard couldn't see Graff as anything more than an arrogant bastard, but if Elijah knew that and had still loved him for the past five years… well, be damned, every dog had its day.

  
He recalled, just a couple of years ago, the public outcry that had erupted when a fairly popular congressman left his wife for his android, how the media had painted the relation as unnatural and sick. He had never followed such scandals very much, but he remembered the political career of that man had been ruined by that transgression.

However, since the revolution, more and more couples of androids and humans (AH couples) had come out in public, becoming comfortable and outspoken about their relationship. It had become a regular topic on TV and social media, and even the first timid ideas to legislate in that regard had begun to appear at political rallies.

Not everything was so optimistic, though.

The opposition was very hostile against AH couples, as in most other aspects regarding androids.   
Far-right movements had risen across the country, a massive riot taking place just a few days ago in Jackson (MS), confronting a group of android objectors against supporters, even requiring military intervention to defuse the situation.  
Lynchings were still a common occurrence in some areas.

  
Richard thought about Connor and Hank.   
His brother hadn't said anything about it yet, and Richard wasn't going to push him about it either. But he had noticed (on the few occasions that Connor had managed to drag him out of his apartment and into his house) the way the android and his brother behave around each other.

At first, Connor had said Hank was only staying with him for a while until he could get his own place under the _New Android American Act_. But as time passed, the HK800 had settled into Connor's domestic life with ease... and Richard was somewhat grateful for that.

In the state he was right now -a fucking case report of anxiety disorders- he couldn't keep an eye on Connor's problems. He rested a little bit easier knowing the ever-worrying android was keeping the Lieutenant on the straight and narrow. No pun intended.

Also, he was pretty sure they had been sleeping together, but that was just a hunch.

  
"Are you nervous, Richard?" Elijah asked, offering him a glass of apple juice.   
It baffled him how the android knew those details, like that he loved apple juice; he wondered if when Elijah had said Gavin talked about him, he meant literally talk or if he had just sent the older brother a file titled _Shit I Know About 9s.zip._

"Yes," he admitted, taking a sip from the glass; talking to Elijah was easy, easier than with his shrink.   
“I'm nervous if this is going to work, if he would, in fact, be Gavin… and if he is, Would he have accepted all this?" he sat at the counter, staring at his casted arm; North had insisted on signing it, as if they were back in middle school. “I wonder…”

"Unfortunately, that is something we will not be able to know until it happens; it is a risk to take," he replied, drying his hands with a kitchen towel.

"But you knew him; what do you think he would've wanted?"

He thought of his relationship with his brother, would he have known what Connor would have chosen? Initially, Richard had said no to the prosthetic when the doctors had suggested it, yet Connor had chosen the complete opposite.  
Knowing someone, not always implied a correct decision.

As if reading his thoughts, the android shrugged, leaning on the counter slightly.

  
Jason and Ralph’s loud voice interrupted the peaceful atmosphere inside the kitchen. Graff appeared first, closely followed by the younger engineer; They were fighting again, which had become a regular sight inside the residence.

"I'm not going to continue this conversation with you, Cohen! This is my design, my android, my software!" Graff shouted, completely disregarding Elijah and Richard's presence.

"That is not true! Each android is its own person!... Gavin belongs to Gavin, and no one else!" Ralph shouted back.   
Seeing the child-like man angry for the first time was disturbing for Nines, but he had become accustomed in the last three days.

"Hey, I'm not being racist!"

"Ralph did not say that!"

"Then stop implying it!"

"Jason! No shouting," Elijah admonished a bit tiredly.

Graff grunted and shoulder checked Ralph on the way to the fridge, opening it and taking out two root beers. He gave one to Ralph unknowingly.

"Why are you two arguing now?" Richard asked Ralph, who had sat next to him at the counter. The blonde turned to him and immediately touched his eye nervously, avoiding the detective's watchful eyes.

"Ralph found a-… a problem."

"It's not a problem. We can fix it in a snap of fingers." Graff complained, walking behind the counter to peek inside the pot.

"What kind of problem?" the detective insisted, still looking at Ralph, and perhaps using a little of his interrogation skills on him. He trusted Ralph's judgment more than the CEO's.

"Well, we were going through Gavin's code to look for redundant segments in the API, and there's a line that keeps producing a-"

"Ralph, non-engineer version, please ... I'm tech-illiterate," he reminded him. Though, in secret, he had been reading about robotics for a while.

"Yes! Ralph is sorry… hmm, okay-" He cleared his throat and tried again. "When we try to run Gavin's program, there was a part of his software that keeps popping up errors 'cause it doesn't match his original programming."

"Could it be some of the changes you made to the masking protocol?" he suggested, trying to figure out what he meant.

"Ralph thought the same thing at first, but even when Graff removed it, the problem persisted."

“Maybe it’s the adaptation software,” he suggested next.

“No, it's more like-"

" _Deviancy,_ " Jason replied, leaning against the counter and sipping from the brown bottle. "Can you believe that, Kent? The last thing 27 did was deviate."

Richard turned to him in surprise, and a euphoric smile appeared on his lips.

"He was a deviant! That amazin-…"

"Why are you so happy?" he cut him off. "The reason he was killed was because he broke his code to save you, knowing it will destroy him," Jason said grimly.

That brief warm feeling was wiped away from around him, from the room. Richard recoiled subtly in his chair, like if he had been punched in the gut, but kept a straight face.

"Jason! You're a son-" Ralph was about to curse him, but the detective straightened up and intervened before he could do so.

"I know, but his pride was to be a deviant. I'm glad he achieved that…"

Graff seemed unamazed by Richard’s words.

"Well, that's the problem, Kent… to reboot him, I must un-deviate him so his software can run again."

"Wait, is deviancy what's bugging his system?"

"It's just a theory, but we've ruled out everything else," Ralph replied wearily, fidgeting with the label on the bottle.

"Surely, there must be another way," Elijah chimed in, clasping Jason forearm with his brows knitted. 

"Eli… We tried, we truly did, but it keeps bugging.” Graff's face softened, caressing his android's hand. “Look, I'm not a monster; I know this is important, but I don't see any other way to make this work."

Richard became hyper-aware of every sound. The steam rising from the pot, Ralph's shallow breath at his side, the sizzle of the frying pan left on the stove.

He thought Elijah was about to snap.

"I'll… see if there's an alternative. I'm good at finding other ways," Jason finally said, squeezing Elijah's hand and giving his boyfriend and Richard a stiff smile.

"Thank you, Graff… I would appreciate that," the detective replied.

The tension eased a bit, but Elijah remained silent.  
Lunch has never been so quiet.

\--------------------------

Date:  
_**DIC 29th,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **21:24** :57_

  
He had been drinking the same drink all night, three fingers of scotch on ice. By now, they were almost completely melted, watering down the liquor and making it undrinkable.   
He stirred the ice inside the glass and turned once more to the door.

No one.

He hated when people were late.

“Because I’m a controlling bastard,” he said into his glass before knocking down the rest of the drink. He grabbed his wallet to pay and go home when someone finally shouted his name.

"KENT!" 

Every time he heard Travis's voice, he huffed in annoyance, even though he was the one who had called the SWAT captain earlier that afternoon.

He raised a hand to greet him.

"Hi, Travis."

It was weird seeing the captain in plain clothing: black jacket, beat-up sneakers, and a Misfit t-shirt. He looked younger.

"Jesus, man ... I thought you'd never answer my calls. How's your arm? You got surgery for that, didn't ya'?" He sat across from him in the tiny booth, offering no apologies for being an hour late.

Nines also didn't expect him to.

"Yes, it was painful, but it's getting better…" he replied, relaxing a little now that he had company.

Though this bar had no similarities to The Gutter, it still made him a little uneasy. It was a sports bar he and Connor often went together to watch hockey or basketball; he wasn't as frequent as his brother, but the place was warm and inviting… it also had the best chipotle in town.

"I'll have a beer and... Do you have any kind of fries? That too; Thanks, man," Travis said to the bored human waiter who had approached their table. "You want another round, Kent?"

"I'm fine," the detective replied. "How's Galindo? And your newborn?"

"Espe is fine. You know her, she's changing nappies with one hand, helping my eight-year-old with the other, and still thinks she can get back to work despite giving birth a month ago." he laughed, scratching his unkempt beard.

Richard could completely picture Detective Esperanza Galindo doing that, while yelling her lungs out, and doing push-ups.

"I know you don't have kids, Kent ... but trust me, it's fucking magical how you seem to forget how exhausting it is to have a newborn that you decide to have another, all over again!"

"I'm going to take your word on that." The waiter returned with Travis' beer, and the older male gladly took a few gulps. "Is Rory doing better?"

"Yes, much better; he doesn't want to go out much yet, but he's very sociable and much more helpful at home than I am." A bright smile appeared on his lips, placing his elbows on the table. "Juli adores him, and he's always helping around though I keep telling him he doesn't have to."

“Maybe he wants to repay you for taking care of him?” he suggested.

“Yeah, maybe, but still... He’s not a guest, he’s part of the family,” he shrugged and then snickered, leaning a little as to tell Richard a secret. "Seriously, if Esperanza doesn't leave me for him, I could dump her and marry Rory."

Richard laughed frankly, shaking his head. He decided that one beer wouldn't be that bad.

Why he had invited Rupert Travis to a bar was anyone's guess. The ex-marine was more or less a down-to-earth person, but not very delicate or reflective. In some ways, it reminded Richard of North's lack of tack and his own pragmatism. But, contrary to him, Rupert was far more in contact with his emotions.  
He only was a bit… rougher? Tactless? Blunt?

"So! Any real reason to be spending my only day off with you?" Rupert asked as the waiter placed the fries on the table and another beer for the detective. "You've been ignoring my calls… so I was pretty surprised when you texted to hang out."

Richard paused for a moment, grabbing the pint and feeling the cold glass against his right palm. The other man wolfed down a handful of fries and waited for his reply, chewing a little too loud for Nines' tolerance.

“Yes, I am sorry about that…”

“Forget it, I ain't a resentful guy. So, what is it?”

"I wanted to ask your opinion on something," the detective finally said, taking a sip of beer.

"Like, a case?... I didn't know you were working again," Travis said with his mouth full.

"No… I'm still officially off work, but I have been helping the FBI on the Red ice case for a while." He took a minute to collect his ideas and then spoke again. "I know you have been very active on the whole new image of the DPD after the revolution, speaking in public and all that… fixing the police image in some way."

It was true.   
After the ceasefire and the speech given by the president, it had slowly come to the public eye what recall centers really were. Amateur footage, journalist articles, and even the own androids' testimony of what had happened inside the compounds had made its way onto the internet, enraging and disgusting the general population.

The difficult process of judging and convicting those related to Crimes Against Androids had begun just a few weeks ago, in the midst of a media frenzy.

Kara and her close network had managed to maintain good relations between androids and the government, and had shown an indulgent yet concerned attitude towards them. Despite that, she openly said that what happened had been genocide.  
Often, the android leader spoke of not repeating the same mistakes, and keeping the focus on working towards a better future, dissuading her followers of taking violent actions.

However, not all androids sided with her pacifist approach.   
Within them, there were more violent and extremist groups seeking faster and severer punishment. People related to those crimes had been recently found dead in gruesome ways.

Rupert Travis and his SWAT team were in charge of those cases.

"Yeah, not sure if I'm too thrilled about that promotion," the captain grumbled, dipping a fry inside a bowl of mustard and then shoving it into his mouth.   
"I'm bad at PR, ya' know?... and, frankly, it pisses me off to have to catch androids. I don't condone what they're doing, but sure as hell can understand why they're doing it."

"The commissioner knows you're pro-android,” Richard encouraged, grabbing some fries before Travis ate them all. “Guess that’s why they gave you the job; because you'd be less biased than other officers.”

"Yeah... but still, it's difficult. I would love to fucking castrate the bastards who hurt Rory but-,” He paused and huffed softly.

The detective noticed how his knuckles had turned white around the glass, keeping a straight face. Travis didn’t need mechanical arms to break the pint, sending glass shards and beer flying everywhere.  
He made a mental note not to cross the SWAT captain.

Suddenly, the Ex-marine relaxed, tension dissolving from his shoulders, releasing the glass.

“…but I don't think anyone is above the law. I'm pro-android, no pro-vigilantes." He finished and then shrugged.

Richard didn't quite know where he stood, but he was glad neither Coffey nor Gagliano were still alive, or he probably wouldn't be able to keep his hands clean. He held that thought to himself, though.

"Wait, what were we talking about?... you needed my opinion on something?" Rupert seemed to suddenly remember why they were there. Richard nodded. "Sorry, I wandered off-topic."

"It's okay. I wanted to ask you something, mainly because you are an outsider in this situation," he preluded, not sure if this was even a good idea. "It's about Gavin, my… partner."

"Oh, shit… okay, I'm listening," The other replied, pushing the bowl of fries away and paying attention to Nines. Rupert knew Gavin was dead; he was there when it happened.

"We-, I-… We were kind of together," he said in a low voice, feeling his cheeks piping hot. He lifted his blue eyes, waiting to see any discomfort on Rupert's face. But the soldier just nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"Dude, I don't give a two shit who you fuck as long they can consent…" he shrugged, drinking the rest of his beer.

He felt a little easier and, taking a deep breath, began to explain what Ralph, Tina, and Graff were trying to do with Gavin's memories, and how they intended to make it work.

"Kent, man… I understand shit about machines and computers, but that sounds fucking amazing! Like reviving the dead!"

"I don't understand half of it either, to be honest, but they're pretty sure they can bring him back," he paused. "But there's a setback, and that's what I wanted to ask you… because you may have an objective view on this issue."

"Spit it out, Kent! Enough foreplay," Rupert grumbled, motioning for the bartender for another beer.

"Apparently, to do so, they have to _undeviate_ him, so his program can run again," he said as deadpan as possible, straightening up and taking a long drink from his glass. 

Rupert stared back at him, humming softly in understanding.

"Let me just make sure we're on the same page here.” He shook his hands off the excess salt, swallowing before continuing. “To make your partner live again, they have to set him back to… default mode? Like resetting a laptop or a phone?"

"Not quite; in theory, he will still have his memories and personality, which was the sole purpose of doing this... But he won't be a deviant anymore."

"Wait, but you told me he never deviated in the first place; that he acted like one, but strictly speaking, he wasn't... am I right?"

"Yeah, but he became a deviant to save me… that night at the bar. It’s a messy story, to be honest…"

Rupert leaned back in the seat, scratching his short hair and as he pondered on Nines' story. He eventually sighed and then put both elbows over the table, gripping his glass between his hands.

"Then?... What's the problem?"

"Wait; what? Are you even listening to me? ...I told you already; he would have to be undeviated!"

"And? I don't see the big deal here," he shrugged, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "You said Gavin was never a deviant in the first place, and yet he always did what he wanted: disobeying orders, talking back to you; he even fucked you, I assume…"

Richard, who was about to interrupt him, closed his mouth, feeling the familiar sense of flushing on his cheeks. It was the other way around, but that wasn't anyone business.

"My point is, he never needed to be a deviant to be himself… so, what's the problem of getting un-deviated, off-deviated, or whatever the hell it is? He'll still be the same to you…"

"You're missing the point here," Richard mumbled, drinking half the pint to cool down his face.

"Then explain it to me!"

"It's the concept of him being a deviant! It’s important to androids!... because it means they don't have to follow orders and-" he stumbled over his own words, feeling embarrassed that he didn't have enough knowledge on the subject to describe it.

"Yet, your partner never did follow orders," Travis countered, pointing his beer at him. "…or at least that's the impression you've given me."

"Yeah, he did whatever he wanted most of the time…."

"So? The title of deviant is that; a title! Man, I know I'm pretty conservative and old-fashioned for a lot of things but, what's the obsession with labeling everything? Being a deviant serves him shit if he's dead… that's my opinion." Rupert finished, also drinking the last of his beer.

…And Nines could partially side with his statement.

\-------------------

Date:  
_**DIC 31st,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **18:04** :13_

"So, Connor knows about this?" North asked as they walked along the sidewalk, grocery bags in her arms.

"Yeah, I went to his house that same Tuesday," replied the detective.

He carried a case of beer in his right hand and a grocery bag pressed against his chest. Though in better shape, his hand was still in a cast, and he had had to ask North for help.  
It had taken them most of the morning to get everything he needed; it was New Year's Eve, after all.

"Was he … cool about it?"

"Thrilled! He's far more optimistic than I am- as with most things." North hummed in agreement. "He said he wanted to come help, but I told him to focus on his job; he and Hank are way too busy."

"They're still in DC?"

"Yeah, they're flying home tomorrow morning" He checked his phone for any new text from his brother and sighed heavily. "Hank was a little more reluctant about using the redemption program, much like me at the beginning. But when Tina explained the procedure, he seemed convinced."

"That's comforting. Hank has this… old wisdom of sorts."

"You are aware that he only looks old, right? Technically he's been alive for like-… five months."

"Nines, don't be a creep; he's dating your brother…"

"Yeah," he shivered, climbing the stairs to Graff's house and ringing the bell. "Wish he would just tell me, though."

"Give him time. Connor went from being a straight guy to sort-of-gay dating a male-looking silver-daddy android." North chuckled at Nines' disturbed face. "Wait, does Hank identifies as male?"

"I have no idea, North… that is far beyond my knowledge of him." Richard was barely paying attention to what his colleague was saying, grinning at his phone.

Connor had sent him a few photos of his trip to the Capitol- One showed him pointing at Hank, who was standing next to Lincoln Memorial; he had attached a hat emoji to the android's head and was laughing his ass off.

**_Con:_ **  
_[image attached]_  
_look at this!_  
_18:00 **√√**_

**_9:_ **  
_Glad you two are working so hard._  
_18:06 **√√**_

**_Con:_ **  
_come on…_  
_give me a break_  
_killjoy_  
_18:06 **√√**_

He chuckled again.   
Connor looked happier than he had seen him in months, years even.

"Hey, you sure this shit is safe?" North spoke out while they waited, taking a bottle from the grocery bag. It was a long, slim bottle, very stylized, and with an elegant label in silver characters; it was filled with blue liquid.

"Graff said it was safe. I'm surprised we've even found it." Richard replied, staring at the bottle with curiosity.

Since the revolution, more companies had aimed to Android-friendly goods- mostly drinks. Part of that wave of products was this unpurified thirium that acted like alcohol for androids; it had been widely advertised for these holidays.

"Well, at least Tina and Elijah will be able to toast with us," she smiled, putting the bottle back in the bag with the other groceries.

They had been working tirelessly since Monday on this project to get Gavin back, and Richard wanted to repay Tina, Ralph, and Elijah with something for all their help. Without knowing what else to do, and taking advantage of the date, he had decided to cook a New Year's Eve dinner for them.   
That also included Graff, who had accepted them in his house and worked side by side with Ralph- though he took every chance he had to complain about it.

Richard didn't know why the CEO had decided to help them. 

Yes, it probably had something to do with Gavin being his boyfriend's brother, and his creation as well. And perhaps it also interested him on an intellectual level- the redemption program as a way to further develop android technology.  
He didn't know and probably never would know what Graff's intentions really were- certainly, he wouldn't tell him. But somehow, he hoped it had made sense to him too in a more ethical way.

The door finally opened, and an unkempt man popped his head through the threshold. He had a long beard and scruffy hair, dressed in joggers and a faded CAL-TECH t-shirt.

"Hey, did you find the thirium?" Graff asked, opening the door for Nines, not paying much attention to the woman beside him.

"We took the last two bottles," he smiled back, entering the house and pushing a grocery bag onto Jason's arms. The engineer whined with annoyance.

"Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Graff," North exclaimed, a little shy in such an elegant and lavish house.

"Sure, whatever… the more, the merrier," Graff replied plainly, finishing the rest of the beer in his hand as he walked back to the couch a bit awkwardly.

"Is he... okay?" North asked, entering the house with caution.   
She remembered Jason Graff from TV interviews, TED talks, and his always trending social media where she was one more of the millions of followers ... and this was a completely different man.

"He's... having a difficult time right now."

After his last court date Wednesday morning, Graff had returned not only with house arrest but with a tracking bracelet on his left leg. He wasn't happy about either.

  
The New Year's Eve party was made up of the two detectives, Ralph, Tina, Elijah, and Jason- A very odd bunch, to say the least, especially considering that two of them wouldn't eat.  
Yet, Richard did his best with Elijah's help, busing himself with the cooking.   
Tina, sitting at the kitchen counter, chatted shyly with North. She had finished working on Gavin's new body the day before, and it was one of the few times she had wandered upstairs to interact with the other house guests.

"Elijah, do you need more blueberries?" asked the detective, as he was heading to the fridge. But the android seemed to be anywhere but the kitchen, absently assembling the trifle. "Elijah? …Are you okay?" Richard insisted, slightly touching the android's forearm.

Elijah recoiled.

"Yes; I'm fine, Detecti-"

"Nines! You're making way too much food! How in the world are we supposed to eat all this?" North interrupted, leaning over the counter to dip her finger in the turkey's gravy. Richard swatted it away.

"Miss North is right; This might be a little excessive, Detective," Tina chuckled timidly. "Me and Elijah can't eat."

"I'm cooking a little extra for Connor; he eats like a 200 pounds biker," said the detective, though North highly doubt than even junk-food-addicted Anderson could eat this much.

"Is the thirium good?" Richard asked, pointing to the thin flute glass Tina held in her hands.

"It's… strange. My system knows it is partially unfiltered, and it keeps warning me it might alter my operation and hinder my judgment, but I guess that's part of the fun, isn't it?"

"Welcome to getting drunk.101, Tina!" North laughed again, refilling her glass of sangria. She took the thirium bottle and tried to do the same with Tina's, who politely declined.

"It's… a little strong for me. Your endurance surprises me, Elijah," she said, referring to the android's empty glass; the bottle was already half empty, mainly due to the older model.

"Ah, yes; the thirium is good," he replied vaguely. "I'm going to check on Jason... I'll be right back," he said, leaving the kitchen a little hastily.

"Older Gavin is weirder than regular Gavin,” North commented, turning to the other two while she sipped her cocktail.

"Yes, but not this much... Does he and Jason been having problems?" Richard asked Tina, concerned about the android.   
Elijah was not wearing an LED, and he was the kind of person you could never really tell how they felt, a cross between cryptic and enigmatic.

"I have no idea. Elijah hasn't said anything to me, though he hardly ever does," Tina replied, drinking another sip of her glass.

"Maybe is the thirium?" North suggested, taking the bottle to inspect it once more.

"Maybe…"

\------------------------------

Date:  
_**DIC 31st,** 2038 _  
Time:  
_PM **23:12:** 33_

Dinner could've been far more awkward, Nines thought, laughing at North's remarks, drinking a cup of coffee while they enjoyed the blueberry trifle Elijah had prepared. The constant joyful play between the female detective and Ralph filled the table with laughter, and soon he joined in telling a few odd stories of his own.  
Even Tina had warmed up to them, sharing her opinions and experiences. He soon learned she could be quite quick with a joke, as he found himself the target of one that prompted an outburst of laughter around the table.

“I’m not liking this joke at all!” he laughed too.

“I’m sorry, Detective! I couldn’t help myself.”

“Oh, Tina! Don't you wanna work at the DPD? I will literally pay you to make fun of Nines!”

"Let's clear the table… it'll soon be midnight," Jason proclaimed, rising from his seat at the head, practically saving Nines from the teasing. He was pretty sure the CEO was a bit intoxicated, but appreciated his attempt to rescue him nonetheless.

  
Once the table was cleared, the party guests spread out through the dining room and living.

Tina sat next to Ralph, talking happily about mechanics and hydraulics, her pale cheeks had slowly become tainted with blue; Ralph didn't seem to notice or mind that she was drunk.  
North was once again refilling her glass with sangria; she had pretty much drunk the whole pitcher by herself.

Richard finally sat down. His left hand hurt, and he felt exhausted, but content.

"Might not be a New Year's Eve at the Ritz with the most influential people in the world, but it wasn't that bad…" 

Graff appeared next to him, waking him up as he had been dozing off on the living room couch. He took the seat next to Nines and handed the detective a double scotch.

"Should I thank you?" Richard smirked, taking the glass and looking at the amber liquid inside it; it was probably worth the equivalent of all his possessions.

"You're not a bad cook, Kent… I guess some expression of gratitude was called for." Graff lifted his glass, and the detective did the same, taking a careful sip.

It was a damned good scotch.

"Hey, I-… I haven't found a way to make it work yet," Jason suddenly said, taking his glasses and cleaning them with the hem of his dress shirt with slow and sloppy movements. "And trust me… I'm really fucking trying."

"I know you are, Graff," he replied, smiling a little.   
He still didn't tolerate Jason in the best of days, but now it was a little different; he blamed it on the scotch and the engineer's softer drunk demeanor.

"Elijah doesn't think so…" he muttered, placing the horn-rimmed glasses back on his nose.

"You fought?"

"Kind of? That's the thing; he doesn't behave like he's mad at me, he just reverts to acting- ...android-like! Like if he's still a machine," he exclaimed, leaning on his knees and holding his head tiredly.  
"I know he's an old model, and maybe that still on his coding but… it freaks me out when he calls me Jason in that monotone voice. I wish he would just yell at me."

Richard nodded, imagining that even for a selfish asshole like Jason, this amount of pressure was a lot to deal with.

He stared at the glass in his hand, rolling the liquid inside. 

  
He ended up getting quite drunk that night with Travis, staying long after they both had expected, talking about both irrelevant and deeper things beer after beer. They finally left the bar in the same cab, as the SWAT captain could barely walk straight, rambling about the dovecote he had on his roof. Nines wasn't any better either.

While in the cab, Rupert had address Gavin's subject once again and, with his BAC well above the legal limit for driving, had spoken openly to the detective.

"Look, Kent- you do what you feel it's best. But if a were you, and that was my SO, I would undeviate the fuck out of them as long as I could have ‘em back… he can deviate again anytime."

As soon as they arrived at Travis' house, Detective Esperanza Galindo had shoved Rupert into their department, yelling at Richard that he was going to kick his ass is he ever got close to her husband again. Rory, for his other part, had greeted the detective with a broad smile.

  
"Hey, Graff," Richard finally spoke. "I've been thinking about that too and-"

"Where's Elijah, by the way? I haven't seen him since dessert." Graff interrupted, getting on his feet with a rash movement, almost knocking Richard's glass.

"I don't know; he was just talking to North…" Nines replied, looking over his shoulder to inspect the living room for the other android.

North appeared from the kitchen, carrying a bottle of chilled champagne in one hand and a thirium one in the other. Elijah was not with her.

"Hey, it's almost midnight! Should we get ready?" the female detective called up.

"North, have you seen Elijah?" Richard asked, getting up and walking over to his partner.

"Uh, no... I was talking to him a while ago, but he said he had something to do, and off he went," she chuckled, a little tipsy already.

Richard turned to Graff, who looked like he had sobered up by magic.

"Is everything okay?" Ralph piped in from the sofa, tilting his head to the side.

"Tina, do you know where Elijah is?" the detective tried again, taking a step towards the android sitting next to the younger engineer.

Tina's cheeks -already tinted blue- darkened a bit more, and she shook her head, her LED turning red for a few seconds.

She was clearly lying.

"Bullshit! Where's Elijah!?... Hey! Speak up!" Jason yelled stepping closer to the android, fear overriding anger on his facial expressions. "I swear to God, if anything happens to him-!"

"Don't yell at her, asshole!" Ralph intervened, shoving him with much more force than he appeared to have. The engineer stumbled and nearly fell.

"Mind your own business, Cohen!".

"Ralph, please… it's okay!" Tina interrupted, standing up and trying to defuse the situation before it escalated into a fistfight.   
Strangely, she turned to face Richard, biting her bottom lip. "He's at the lab… he's booting Gavin up."

  
Richard felt his body temperature drop by several degrees, every muscle in his body tensing up for a second before bolting for the stair as fast as his legs could carry him, followed closely by the rest of the party guest.

He wasn't sure how long Elijah had been gone, how long he'd been working on him, or if he could still stop him from doing so. 

_Stop him?_... Did he want to stop him?

His heart was beating through his ribcage, echoing in his eardrums as he got to the lower floors filled with adrenaline. He crashed into the wall and threw the lab door open.

  
Gavin was on the slab- cables dangling from his neck, with his eyes closed and his LED swirling intermittently from yellow to blue. Elijah, beside him, was looking at Richard with a mixture of shame and determination.   
He let the tablet he had in his hand over the counter.

"Gavin?" Richard asked, stumbling over to the table, his eyes fixed on the white android resting at the table, partially covered by a sheet.

"He's still in stasis… it might take him a few more minutes to boot up," Elijah said, turning his back to the detective to type something into a console, referring to a loading bar on the screen.

"Wha-what did you do to him?" he turned to face the other android for a second.

"See for yourself..."Elijah motioned with his head back to the table.

Richard's eyes quickly returned to Gavin as his skin gradually reappeared over his body, reaching his face, restoring his stubble and messy brown hair.

"I erased the sequence associated with deviancy from his code so his software could run. As Jason had speculated, it worked fine once that was taken care of," the android replied deadpan.

"Wh-why?... why did you do this!?" he turned towards him, raising his voice. 

He didn't understand a damned thing- why the usually quiet and passive Elijah had gone ahead and taken the matter into his own hands, when he had been the first to become enraged at the idea of un-deviating the GV200.

"Why not?" replied the android, his face colored with blue and his eyes watery. “Why shouldn't I, Richard?”

Jason appeared through the door, followed by Ralph and North. Tina wasn't with them.

"You humans were taking your time making a decision that has nothing to do with you," a sneer appeared on Elijah's face, and he turned away. "He's my brother… why can't I have a say on this? Why are YOU the one to decide?"

"Eli…" Jason had approached the trembling android, placing a hand on his forearm. Elijah shuddered, tears started running down his cheeks.

"So I decided for you, Richard!... there, it's done." And with that being said, Elijah stormed out of the lab with Jason running behind, trying to calm him down.

He stared at the opened door with a fixed expression.

\---------

Date:  
_**JAN 1st,** 2039 _  
Time:  
_AM **02:12:** 42_

  
"Hey, I brought you some coffee…" North said softly, handing him a cup.

"Thank you," Richard replied, still sitting a few feet away from Gavin's bed. He hadn't moved in the last two hours. "How's Elijah?"

"Graff talked to him, and he calmed down a bit," she said, taking a seat next to him and grabbing Gavin's hand in hers. She stared at the android worriedly, brushing her thumb over his knuckles.

“I understand…”

“He seemed sorry he yelled at you…”

"He shouldn't; He's right," he intervened, taking the cup in his hand but setting it on a side table without drinking. "He had as much right as I -maybe even more- to decide whether Gavin should be undeviated or not… And I couldn't even grow a pair and make a decision," he added ashamed, but mostly enrage at himself.

"Maybe… but you're always so hard on yourself," North growled. "Wish you had told me. You don't always have to make all the tough decisions by yourself, you know?"

"I know, I'm sorry…” He smiled faintly, turning to look at Gavin's sleeping face too.

"When will he wake up?" North asked; apprehension had seeped into her words, and she cleared her throat to erase it. "I mean, when will he… boot up, I guess?"

"I'm not sure. Ralph came here an hour ago and said everything was in order, that he should wake up any second… but he hasn't."

"Maybe we should... shake him? Slap him around?"

"I don't think that's going to work, North," he sighed, rolling a screwdriver he had found lying around between his fingers.   
He wasn't as jittery as he thought he would be in this situation, but still, fidgeting always helped him calm down.

They stayed quiet for a while, the buzzing of the machinery interrupted only by Richard’s shoe constantly tapping against the floor.

North spoke up first.

"You should talk to him, Nines… and before you say it- I know he's not in a coma, and this isn't a cringy soap opera, but there's no harm in trying." She stood up and patted the detective's shoulder. "I'm gonna nap a little on the couch upstairs. Call if anything happens... try to get some sleep yourself."

"Get some rest, North." Richard smiled tiredly, waiting for her to exit the room before turning to Gavin.

  
He rose from the stoop he had been sitting in, clutching his injured arm in a nervous gesture, before approaching the sleeping android. He stood by his head.

It reminded him of the first time he had stayed at his place, when Ralph had fixed him for the first time, and he lay -much like now- on his dining table.   
It felt like a year ago but had been only two months.

"Hey, Tin can?" He called softly, approaching him a little more. "Wake up…"

He waited, but nothing happened.

 _Of course,_ his inner voice mocked him, but he pressed on.

"Reed? Come on, wake up… Ralph said there wasn't anything wrong with you so, why don't you wake up?" He insisted, trying to ignore the intrusive thoughts that kept remarking how ridiculous it was to talk to an inanimate object.

 _He is alive_ , he countered stubbornly.

"Please, even if you don't remember me, even if you are a different person altogether... please, wake up. I miss you so damned much, Gavin," He insisted again, letting his hand fall gently on his cheek, somehow expecting he would snap awake and twist his wrist like he had done back then.

Nothing happened. 

He sat back down.

He let a few minutes pass, staring at his cast, before an idea popped in his mind.

"I dreamt about you - I mean, I dream about you a lot- but that night after what happened at The Gutter, I dreamt about a cabin by the lake my grandfather owned. It is technically mine now, but we share it with Connor during the summer, and-" he stopped midsentence and cleared his throat, noting he was rambling.

"In my dream, we were there, just talking. I was made aware that you were dead, though my imagination did a pretty good job at recreating your childish attitude." He snickered, taking the android's hand and brushing his knuckles as North had done.

"You suggested I should be more open with what I thought. I don't recall ad verbum what you said, but was something along the lines of _< Just fucking speak your mind, Nines!>_... yes; that sounds like you, right?"

He let out a small laugh, more tired than sad, and squeezed his hand. It felt warm again.

"I was supposed to tell you this face to face, but I guess this is as good as it gets." The detective inhale and held his breath a moment. "Gavin, I-… shit, I can’t do this..."

_Clink._

"Gavin, I-…”

_Clink._

A clinking -was it a clinking? 

He heard a soft murmur, more like a tinkling, which he first associated with the mechanism of the instruments around them, but soon realized it wasn't coming from the consoles but the android.

"Ga-… Gavin?"

He heard it then, a low yet distinguishable laughter, more like a chuckle, coming from him. He blinked a few times and stood up, scraping the tiles with his chair.

"Gavin!"

"Hey! Please continue, don't mind me," the android muttered between snickers, before bursting in a full-on laughter.

"You son of a bitch… you're awake!?" the detective shouted, leaning over him threateningly and grabbing him by the shoulders.   
However, his face didn't quite reflect that at all, staying halfway between a smile and an angry frown.

"More or less, can't really move yet…" the android replied, managing to slowly raise his hand to let it fall over his forearm, his hazel eyes finally focusing on Richard's face. "Hi, meat sack… you look like shit."

"Shut the fu-" Richard had tried to insult him, but the words came out like a garbled mess, his throat closing again in a knot. But this time, it didn't cause him anguish. "How much did you hear?"

"Bit and pieces, something about a cabin? …Wow! Nines?"   
The detective didn't wait any longer- he yanked Gavin by the shoulders and crushed him desperately in his arms, hiding his face in the crook of his neck.

"Hey, chill… it's alright." With great effort, Gavin managed to put his hand over the detective's back, awkwardly returning the hug.

They stayed like that- Richard completely hidden in Gavin's neck as the android slowly managed to move more and more, finally looping both arms around Nines' narrow hips.

"Wait, what the fuck?... why are you so thin?!" Reed had pushed the man away from him, taking a closer look at the tired detective.   
"Your hand! ...What the hell happened to you?" His LED, blue until now, instantly turned red. He stared at him, confused and distressed.

Richard stirred nervously, keeping his hands on the android's forearms to make sure he didn't vanish again.

"GV, how much do you remember?"

"I- ..." his LED began to spin rapidly, changing from blue to yellow and then to red; his eyes swept the unfamiliar room before settling back to Nines.

"I died, Coffey killed me; you're wounded, you're still in danger," He began to describe, as if the scene was playing out in his eyes. "… the revolution!" Gavin suddenly jumped, trying to get off the slab, but the cables connecting him from his neck to the machines yanked him back.

His skin glitched, and in a panic, Richard grabbed hold of him.

"Hey, hey… it's okay; you're okay; this is okay." He repeated his personal mantra to him automatically, picking on the stress building up inside the android. "A lot has happened since then, but everything is fine ... I promise."

"What the fuck is happening? WHERE AM I?”

"Gavin! Gavin, calm down, it's okay... I've got you" Gavin thrashed a bit, trying to escape, but the detective held him back until he eventually settled, grasping Nines' dress shirt between his fingers.

His eyes moved frantically from side to side, and suddenly, he relaxed into the detective's arms, pressing his forehead to Nines' chest, surprising him.

"We won, the revolution triumphed…. Androids are free," he summarized, his words getting a bit lost caused he murmured them into his clothes; Richard was able to understand them regardless.  
He imagined the android had looked up the information online.

"Yes… you're free, Gavin."

" _Phuck_ … what a shit show," he exclaimed, chuckling nervously and pushing himself away from the detective, apparently a little embarrassed of his sudden desperation.

Richard nodded, releasing his arms as he went back to sit at his chair, still vibrating with leftover adrenaline.   
He wanted to stay closer to Gavin, but the android must've been going through a lot right now.

"How... long have I been dead? Shit, what a strange thing to ask."

"Almost two months."

" _Two months!?_ Shit!" he exclaimed, gripping his hair. His LED still yellow was swirling over and over. "I've got a hole in my memories… nothing since that night."

"Well, it's to be expected..." Richard murmured, taking the screwdriver in his hands jut to do something with them.

"How did you... manage to get me back?" he asked, turning to look at the glass walls of the lab. "This isn't my body."  
He stared at his reflection in the mirror and slowly touched his face; though it looked exactly the same, Gavin regarded it with discomfort.

"It's a long story and quite technical… it might be better if Ralph or Graff explained the details to you."

"Jason had something to do with this?" He turned to him, frowning a bit.

"Yes; well, Graff, Tina, Ralph, and Elijah did this by using Dowland's program. Do you remember that? The-… redemption program he was trying to build?"

"So he was trying to help Myriam after all," muttered the android.

"Beg your pardon?"

"Nothing to do with you, meat sack… hey, can you hand me that screwdriver you got there? I can't move much," Gavin said, pointing to the tool Nines was holding.

"What are you going to do, Reed?" The human asked, doubting what the often wayward android would do with it.

"Just hand me the fucking thing; I'm not gonna stab myself nor you, okay?" he snapped.

"Take it, do as you please… I'm going to call Graff so he can check on you," Richard said in a low, professional voice, suddenly feeling disconnected from the man on the table, wondering if this Gavin was the same man he used to know… or if he even remembered what they were.

 _You were nothing_ , his mind reminded him, and he nodded obediently to his intrusive voice.

He got up from his chair and headed for the door, wondering if he should tell Elijah first, when a sickening sound made him stop.

_Screeeeeechhh!_

It sounded like a car scrapping into a guardrail.

"REED! What the fu-?!" exclaimed the detective sprinting towards him.

Gavin's face was covered in blue blood, as was the hand that held the screwdriver. He dropped the tool to the floor and grabbed the sheet, wiping his face with it, turning once more to look at himself in the mirror wall.

"There, that's MY face! …much better," he exclaimed happily; his nose now crossed by a deep, blue scar.

"You are absolutely out of your mind…" Richard exclaimed, grabbing Gavin by the chin to inspect the damage, pressing the sleeve of his shirt against his nose to stop the bleeding.

"What? It made me uncomfortable," he smiled, playfully dodging Nines’ arm. The recently-made wound still dripped a little.

“Couldn't you wait!?” The detective scolded, growling in annoyance. “I'm gonna call Graff… you’re deranged.” He stood up, stomping towards the exit.

“Nines…”

“What!?”

"Can you… stay a little longer?"

He stopped on his tracks.

The android on the table looked… _small_ , and as confused as he was; his LED changing back and forth between the three primary colors.

He walked stiffly back to his side, muttering a hushed sure and touching his casted arm apprehensively. He sat by his side on the bed.

Gavin kept looking at his arm and thin frame, finally settling on the detective’s face.

"You really let yourself go without me; huh, Dickchard?" the android said, reaching out to touch Kent's cheek and jaw. He recoiled at first, but ended up leaning into his hand like a cat looking to be petted.  
_Much like Bucket,_ he thought.

"A lot has happened. I'm a little more-... neurotic than you remember," he admitted in a strained voice, not looking forward to describing the mess he was right now- the nightmares, the intrusive ideas, the PTSD...

Gavin shrugged and let his hand move from his face to his hair, running through the messy locks.

"Your hair is long, might as well make you a ponytail," he teased, combing his bangs away from his eyes. It was long enough that it started to curl at the ends.  
It was difficult to tell since Richard always used his hair short and comb, but he had auburn wavy hair.

He sighed softly, not only allowing his touch, but relishing into it, more docile than his usual self.

"Gavin, there's so much I need to tell you…" Against his own wishes, he had stopped Gavin's hand by clutching it between his own.

"Yeah, you were just about to say something when I interrupted you, but that can wait. There are two very important things I need to know right now."   
Richard nodded, patiently waiting for him to speak.   
"First, where are my clothes? I feel a bit exposed here... and second, why the hell are you so fidgety around me?"

"I'm not…"

Gavin could've began listing every single thing he'd picked up about the detective: His nervous breathing, his racing heart rate, his flushed face... but he wasn't in the mood to tease the human.

He was confused -a little distressed even- about this future in which he had awakened. But he was sure this was Nines, his human and partner; the rest could wait five God-damned minutes.

He pushed himself forward on the bed, one hand on Richard's neck, and pressed his forehead gently against the detective's. The man's breathing halted.

"Is this … really you?" Richard asked, his voice quivering like Gavin had never heard it before.

"Who else would I be?" he retorted with irritation. 

"A dream? A nightmare? Another android?" He listed, nervously clutching the sheet.

"Shuddup and kiss me already, dipshit…" 

"Oh! For Chrissake, couldn't you wait five minutes?!" Graff's voice rang out so loud within the small room that it startled both men, pulling apart immediately as if caught red-handed.

"Hey, Jason…" Gavin greeted, cockily smiling as Richard tried to dissimulate his flushing face with a poker face.

The engineer was still wearing that night's clothes and his glasses askew on his nose.

"27, your face!" Graff sighed frustrated, before smiling a little while huffing through his nose. "Whatever, never mind... I'm happy to see you back."

A commotion could be heard near them, approaching the tiny lab, and soon the door flung open again.

"GAV!!" North had pushed Jason aside, racing Tina to get to the android's side first. Ralph followed a little behind, the same excitement on his face as the two females.

The female detective hugged his neck, almost knocking him off the table.

"North! Shit! Watch out with the cables… I'm still wired up!"

"Sorry, sorry! It's just-… it is so good to have you back!"

"I'm glad to see you, baby girl… Tina, you okay too?" he asked, turning to the female android who nodded effusively with a shy smile, her eyes a bit watery.

"Gavin, you saved me and-… oh! I'm so glad this worked," she exclaimed, her voice cracking a bit as she hugged him too.

"Hey, hey, take it easy... I'm fine!" exclaimed the android, a little overwhelmed by so much physical contact.

"Gavin, how are you feeling? Is your software running alright?" Ralph asked, turning to the devices he was still connected.

"Yeah, I'm alright… my joints are still a little rigid, but I've been readjusting the input," he replied, still patting North's back, releasing Tina's hand but winking at her.

"I can't believe you're here!" North kept insisting, hugging him tighter and tighter.

"Jesus, are you drunk!?" He pushed her away, faking irritation but keeping the smile on his lips.

"A bit… Happy New year, Gavin!"

"Shit! I missed Christmas!?"

  
Richard had taken a step back, the room suddenly a little too crowded for his liking. He watched as North and Tina overwhelmed the android with care and affection, each woman doing so in her own distinctive way.

Jason stopped next to him and cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Seems like it worked after all." 

"Yes, he IS Gavin. The redemption program managed to transfer his memories and personality successfully. Congratulation, another achievement for the CyberLife company."

"Bullshit," Jason muttered sarcastically. "It's Ralph's software -Well, in part- but he's the one who perfected Dowland's idea. It has nothing to do with CyberLife."

“You helped too.”

“Only a little.” 

Richard nodded, looking at the youngest of them chatting happily with both android as, at the same time, typed and adjusted things on the consoles. Ralph was as talented as Chloe Kamski, but was too kind to ever profit from his invention.

"Where's Elijah? Shouldn't he be here?"

"He's… in stasis," the engineer replied bitterly. "But he'll come down soon to talk to 27."

Something in his voice told Nines he too dreaded the consequences of what Elijah had done.  
Had Gavin already noticed he wasn't a deviant anymore? Had Tina told him? He could only wonder.

He felt suddenly very tired; the emotional roller coaster he had been on for the last five hours had taken a toll on his body.  
He wished he could just go home to his cat...taking the GV200 with him.

"Hey! Are you naked under that sheet?"

"What d'you think? Seriously, North… can you get me a pair of pants? I know you missed me and all, but this would be a lot less awkward if my balls weren't dangling around."

"First of all, gross! Thanks for the mental image…" 

"I'll get you some clean clothes, 27 ... Ralph, can I trust you to see if we can unplug him?"

"Ralph's checking that out already… though it might take a couple more minutes to get everything ready. Ralph's is sorry, Gavin."

"Chill, I've been dead for fifty days, I can wait a little longer." 

Graff clapped Nines on the shoulder, and left with the other two humans. Tina sat next to Gavin for a few more minutes, speaking in short wave before she left as well, kissing the other android's forehead before doing so.  
Nines lingered by the door, waiting patiently.

"Good night, Detective," Tina said, walking past him at the door.

"Good night, Tina. Thank you again, I really can't tell you how mu-"

"HEY! Meat sack! Come 'ere!"

Tina chuckled, squeezing the detective's arm and pointing discreetly at her friend.

"No refunds, Detective… he's all yours now."  
She left.

  
They were once again alone, the tension from the unfulfilled kiss lingering around them.

"Hey, can you take this off my neck? Can't reach the damn thing!"

"Ralph said you're not ready yet… be patient, Reed," he admonished, glancing at the loading bar on the screen next to them. "And having you on a short leash doesn't seem like such a bad idea."

"Good to know you're still a sadistic fuck."

"And you an obnoxious brat..."

"Sure thing! Still… weren't you about to kiss this obnoxious brat? Gavin side smiled, arrogant as always.

He let out a laughter, moving a little back from him with a smug.

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?"

"I'm gonna punch you in the face right fucking now, Richa-"

He kissed him before the android could keep talking, grasping his arms and almost crawling onto the GV200's lap, taking his mouth in a desperate yet careful kiss.   
He pulled him into his arms while Gavin, always a bit too impulsive and hotheaded, bit his lower lip to slip his tongue into his mouth.

Richard tangled his fingers in Gavin’s soft hair, finding the edge of the connector and pulling it out from his neck with firm motion. The android let out a small whimper and fell into the detective’s arm, tiny drops of thirium running down his naked back.

Gavin shuddered visibly, panting a little.

“Bastard… you said I wasn't ready.” His voice was strained, but playful.

“I lied,” he replied smugly, but at the same time carefully caressing Reed’s back, holding him tight for a couple of minutes.

"Gavin, we had to undeviate you to bring you back," the detective blurted out stupidly, his arms instinctively holding him a little bit tighter.

He told him- Gavin needed to know, he deserved to know; And this was the kind of thing that should be talked about immediately, even if it meant a confrontation... or a fist to the nose.

"I know, Nines."

He moved back a little to look at his face, Gavin’s sincere and straightforward eyes holding his gaze.

“You aren’t mad?”

“Not now, maybe later I will, but right now... I just wanna go home,” said the android, hiding in the other’s neck.

“Let’s go home.”

  
He knew that having him back didn't erase the last two months, that it wasn't a magical solution to his problems, and that his inner demons were still there, creeping upon him.  
But while he understood how difficult path ahead was (not because of his problems, but of the ones Gavin was likely to have), he unmistakably found peace in having him back.

The fighting, the yelling, the teasing, and every part that undoubtedly form their relation was so much needed, so much longed for.   
He still had to tell him how he felt, but he has time now-

Time to get it right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, we reach the end... thank you for joining me on this journey.  
> Earlier this year, I found myself fresh out of college, I had broken up a five-year-long relationship with my fiance and hating my job...  
> And I said to myself -It's a good time as any to try this shit! You've always wanted to write in English!  
> I'm glad I did. This was so much fun! And made this very strange year easier and joyful; even when work became hard, I came back home to write and it gave me peace.
> 
> Again, thanks to each and every one of you for taking the time to read this, comment, leave a Kudo ... from the bottom of my heart, Thank you.
> 
> I like these two idiots so much I might try writing some more in the future. I'm hoping to see you if I ever do!
> 
> PS: I wanna make an epilogue, not sure when, but soon... and I will be fixing and rephrasing some earlier chapters. If you have some time, maybe you'll like to read it again?


	21. Addendum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into the life of our characters post-revolution.

Date:  
 _ **May 13rd** , 2039 _  
Time:  
 _PM **01:12** :42_

Several things had changed in the last months, not just at work but in the world in general. Yet, the bullpen remained pretty much the same, or at least that's what Detective – Now Special agent– Richard "Nines" Kent thought when he entered the precinct that Friday morning.

He himself had changed a lot in that short amount of time: regained some weight, cut his hair back to its usual professional length, and had finally gotten rid of that obnoxious cast. He looked a little more like he used to, safe for some minor changes.

He spotted Connor at his desk and walked straight to him, raising his hand.

"Look who graces us with his presence! My brother, the traitor," exclaimed the lieutenant, rolling away from his desk to greet his brother with a smile.

Connor had changed too, and for the best. Though he still wore the same awful pattern shirts and wild hair, he looked healthy, well-rested, and altogether happier.   
Nines knew that not all was smooth sailing in his brother's life, but he also knew that in his left back pocket was a Six-months-sober coin. That was enough to make the other Anderson happy.

"Could you stop calling me that? I did not betray anyone," protested the taller but younger brother, shoving his hands in his jacket, aborting the greeting with an angry frown.

"Sure thing, mister I'm-gonna-help-the-feds-for-a-while," retorted Connor, a playful smirk on his face as he pointed to the FBI badge on his left hip. Richard blushed a little but kept an offended expression.

“It has only been a few months!”

"And here you are! What was it? Quantico couldn't handle you, baby brother?"

"Oh, you're such a prick when you want to, Connor."

"Traitor, I have no brother…" Connor said dramatically, managing to pull a smile from his brother's lips despite refusing to change his bitter expression.

"Lieutenant, Special Agent Kent is right ... it's just consulting, I don't see why that should be called treason; the FBI and DPD are both law enforcement agencies after all," Hank chimed in, carrying a cup of coffee in his hand and a tablet in the other.

"Hank, do you know what a–?… Forget it, nevermind," Connor exclaimed, having turned around to try to explain his android partner what a brothers bullying was, but giving up midsentence, patting Hank's back.  
They were still working on the HK800 abstract thinking.

"Nice to see you, Hank… everything alright?" Nines greeted the tall android.

Unlike many other androids, Hank had chosen to keep his LED, which calmly glowed blue at his right temple, his hair combed back into a ponytail. However, he had ditched his uniform and was wearing an equally awful dress shirt, tie, and jacket. His brother bad taste had rubbed off on him.

"Yes, Agent Kent; a little busy, though. We've been working on a series of cases regarding component trafficking," he explained, and Connor immediately perked up.

“Yeah– it started as a regular missing android case, and turned into a rabbit hole,” the shorter male explained, pulling his tablet from his overcoat and showing it to Richard.

“What you mean?” inquired the agent, frowning a little and taking a pencil from his pocket to fidget with it.

The tablet showed a missing android report:

**_AGENCY CASE NUMBER: 44-34257_ **   
_CASE REFERENCE: Missing android_   
_SUBJECT: AP700 #480 913 802, Name: Mira_   
_Reporting officer: ID#4761 UNIT #714/ Officer. Mendez_   
_CASE ASSIGNED TO: LT. C. Anderson / Det. H. Anderson (HK800 #313 248 317-53)_

_Android last seen by friends on MARCH 14th, leaving New Jericho alone. Roommate claims strange behavior in the weeks leading up to the disappearance. Unclear sighting at WESTSIDE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT on MARCH 15th._

"We haven't been able to locate Mira, but we uncovered a connection to some Chinese traders; they ran a repair shop on Westside Industrial, and someone saw her go into the store. We search the place from top to bottom, but all the parts we found were second-hands from China,” Connor explained, frowning in a similar way to his brother.

"You don’t think she was…?”

"We couldn't find any evidence to support that she had been dismantled and sold, all the parts within the store were harvested from Asian-made androids," Hank interrupted, his voice more monotone than usual but his LED yellow. "We are not yet recognized as a sentient species there, so no crime was committed... We had to let them go."

He nodded in understanding and scrolled through the documents for a few minutes, knitting his brows and rolling a pencil between his fingers.

"I'll see if there's anything on the FBI archives about this MO… I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks, just don't steal our case ... I've punched an FBI agent before, and I can do it again," Connor threatened with a half-smile that Richard reciprocated, nudging him playfully.

"How's your arm, Agent?" Hank asked, referring to Richard compound fracture.

"Richard, Hank…. You can call me Richard or even Nines," he reminded him. "It's alright, doesn't hurt anymore, but it's weaker than the other... It's to be expected, though."

"You'll get there, Nines," Connor encouraged, patting his shoulder gently before tilting his head to the side. "Hey, by the way, why are you here?"

"Oh! I–… I came by to drop some personal files for Amanda and thought I could stop by and say hi. Is she in her office?"

"She's always there," the Lieutenant replied. "Careful, she's in a bad mood…"

"When she's not," he snorted, heading for the glass castle.

He paused at the door, compulsively fixing his tie before knocking. It amazed him how, being a thirty-two-year-old man, he was still terrified of talking to his boss like a middle schooler walking into the principal's office.

"Come in," called Stern's voice, and Richard pushed the door open, finding the woman buried in a ton of papers– She still liked to read physical documents.

"Excuse me, Captain… do you have a moment?"

"Richard? ...Of course, come in!" A little smiled curved the woman's lips and, making some space between towers of papers, motion him to sit down.

The detective obeyed, stiffly sitting across the desk.

"What're you doing here? The Feds couldn't handle you anymore?" She admonished playfully, reading from a binder as she listened – _presumably_ – to him.

"No, I wasn't fired ... and that's why I'm here," said the detective, rolling the pencil between his slender fingers. _Better cut straight to the chase._

Stern stopped and lowered the papers she was examining, turned to him, taking her glasses off her nose to look at the younger officer. Richard didn't recoil, although he wanted to.

"I've been asked to join the FBI permanently."

"Oh!... Well, congratulations, Kent! I have no problem signing your transfer. Do you have the documents?" His captain exclaimed, the lines around her lips forming an inverted "V" as she flashed him a proud smile.

"No, I don't have them on me."

"You can email them to me until 4 pm. It's Friday after all, and it's my granddaughter’s birthday party…" she said, turning around and resuming her work, her interest in Richard over for now.

"Ma'am, I'm not taking the position." 

It had taken him a whole ass minute to speak out, finally doing so with a far more conviction than he had expected to muster. However, that did not impress the police captain.

"You sure as hell are taking that promotion, Richard," she replied, deadpan, signing a form and setting it aside. "It's a great opportunity, you'd be damned stupid if you missed out."

"But Amanda, I'm happy with my position here! And my shrink gave the all-clear to go back to work!"

"It's not about your diagnosis, Richard ... it's about your perspective on life," she had stopped and looked at him over her rimless glasses.   
"The FBI is a great opportunity for a smart young officer like you. You're overqualified for most of the things we see here, and is your investigation with the RITF that cracked open that case… you should be the one taking care of it."

"I don't like the Feds…" he complained, furious that she was treating him like a child and even angrier that he was playing the part.

"Neither do I, but–" she stopped once more to collect her thoughts, breathing in and tapping her lips with her index finger.

"Look– I'm not your mother, Richard, I'm your captain. And although I do look after you and your brother, I cannot tell you what to do. If you came to me with your mind all made up, there is nothing I can say to change your decision, am I right?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, his voice low but clear, even slightly enraged.

"Then do what you want," she said, pointing at him with her glasses. "But give it a thought, don't make any rash decisions that you may regret later."

He sighed, clutching the pencil in his hand and stood up.

"I've already made my mind; I'm just asking to be reassigned back here... Please, Amanda."

"You still have your place in this precinct, Richard, although your– … partner has taken possession of your desk, I'm afraid," she exhaled wearily, it was no secret that Gavin was a constant pain in Stern's back.

He smiled, little more relax at that, and nodded.

"Thank you for your time, Captain… have a nice weekend."

"Close the door on your way out! And tell Reed I'm not buying any more spare parts for him if he keeps throwing himself into the line of fire. Seriously, he behaved better with you around." She exclaimed, typing furiously on her laptop.

Nines snorted, shaking his head as he exited the office.

It wasn't like working at the bureau was bad; he liked it. And, while his fieldwork was scarce, he had had the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best agents in America.  
He recalled the time he had trained with the BAU to get his degree in behavioral sciences at Quantico, just a few years back. And despite being an incredible experience, it was very different from actually working major cases (like the Red-ice trafficking ring) with all the resources a federal agency could provide.

His work environment wasn't bad either (except for Perkins, who held an understandable grudge against him). His commanding officer was a man he had met during that training course, Agent Hunter Cruz, a highly respected senior agent with a long history in the force.  
He knew he could learn a lot from him and the rest of the team, but he found himself longing to go back to Detroit.

He missed the fieldwork – being able to interrogate suspects and follow leads, as opposed to reading reports and interviews all day while getting his ass flat on an office chair. And he didn't like the still prejudiced attitude most FBI agents had with android personnel.

To be fair, he missed Gavin more than anything.

"Nines! Hey, Jerry!... Detective Nines is here."

He had just returned to the bullpen, stopping by his old desk, when a smiling Daniel approached him, followed closely by Jerry.

"Hey, good to see you two," he greeted, smiling to the blonde and redheaded officer.

They had seen each other on very few occasions since the revolution, usually when they had to testify in court about the Gagliano case, and Richard hadn't been in his best condition to have an in-depth conversation with his colleagues.

"Ditto! Hey, Nines, how is the FBI headquarters? Did you find out if area 51 is, in fact, an alien compound?" Jerry asked, getting a worried and slightly uncomfortable look from Daniel. You could never be too sure if Jerry was being serious or not; he had a peculiar sense of humor.

"I think that's more of a CIA thing, Jerry," Richard replied, snorting a little. He turned to Daniel and smiled broadly, patting his arm.  
"North told me you have your bar exam next week, Daniel… hang in there, you'll be a great lawyer. And maybe we can finally have someone on our side in the DA office."

The young officer blushed, his fair skin doing nothing to prevent his ears, neck, and even his collar from turning pink.

"Yessir; thank you, sir, I'll do my best…How's your arm, sir?" he stuttered, the blush darkening a bit more as Jerry began to laugh at him.

"Almost completely healed. Hey, have you seen Ga–?"

"Hey! Meat sack! What are ya' doing here!?"

"Speak of the devil and he doth appear."

Gavin had just entered the precinct, stomping into the bullpen with a thirium bottle in one hand and his right sleeve torn and stained with blue, with his arm twisted at an impossible angle. Daniel swallowed hard, his stomach quite sensitive to that kind of show.

"Hey, Gavin! Did you run into an incoming bus again?" Jerry teased but recoiled immediately at the furious and somewhat manic glare the android gave him.

“Very funny, Palmer… you're a fucking comedian.”

The GV200 looked pissed, drinking the last of the thirium bottle and throwing it away.

"Guess you had a busy morning," Richard suggested, keeping a straight face despite his heart peaking up pace at that sigh. He knew the android would notice, but he didn't mind anymore.

"Some moron attacked North and me with a baseball bat; fucking son of a bitch," he exclaimed, dropping down on his chair and rummaging through the bottom drawers of his desk. "Hit me three times before North remembered she had a stun-gun… shit, where did I leave that damn thing?"

"Is she alright?" Richard interrogated with a severe frown, his demeanor reverting to a leader-like stand.

"Of course she's alright! I wouldn't be here if she wasn't," he shouted back, offended. "Here you are!"

He had taken out a small repair kit, peeling off his jacket and inspecting the dent in his arm. The synthetic skin had disappeared on the wounded spot, leaving just the white alloy stained with blue. He opened the lid, and thirium came gushing out.

“Oh, God–” Daniel mumbled, rushing to the bathroom.

"Weak stomach," Jerry added, shrugging and following his partner to see how he was doing.

Richard sighed long and deeply, approaching the desk and taking off his jacket as well.

"Here, let me…" his ex-partner said, rolling a chair to Reed's side and inspecting the injury more closely. "Is not that bad, no internal damage; I think I can fix it myself."

"I know, thanks rA9 … I didn't wanna go to Ralph's twice in a week."

Richard just growled in reply, chastising.

"Thought you were staying in Quantico until Sunday," Gavin muttered, extending his arm so Richard could work. He had become quite skillful at these little repair jobs; it was more or less like fixing his car– if his car could talk and complain all the time.

"I finished my paperwork a little earlier and took the first flight," Richard replied, raising his blue eyes for a second to look at Gavin. The android's LED flickered to yellow, and a soft blue hue appeared on his cheeks and ears.

"Good, Okay, whatever…"

Richard smiled to himself. He liked it when he made Gavin shut his trashmouth.

"There, that should be it…"

"You're getting better at this, Dickchard," He exclaimed, inspecting the work Nines had done on his arm. The synthetic skin covered it immediately as if nothing had happened.

"I have plenty of occasions to practice, since you apparently like throwing yourself on the line of fire," he said accusingly, raising a brow.   
"By the way, Amanda said she isn't getting you any more spare parts for next month. So, you may want to start doing your work properly."

"Tsk! You go away for two months, and you think you can boss me around? Fuck off, Kent… I'm a detective too," he said with a proud, cocky smile, throwing his feet over the desk– _Richard's_ desk.

It wasn't a surprise the android had aced his detective application; the surprising thing was that, after the revolution, after being dead for two months, the only thing Gavin had wanted was going back to the DPD.  
He and Hank were the first android detectives officially recognized by the Detroit Police Department. And he displayed his badge with the same pride with which he still bared his LED.

"Detective Gavin Reed," Richard said mockingly, looking at the plaque on the desk. "Don't let it go to your head, Tin can…"

"You wanna fight me, meat sack? Anyplace, anytime," he replied with a crooked smile, sitting up as if ready to fight him; yet his hazel eyes lingered on his partner, his thigh brushing gently against Richard's, hidden under the desk.

"I don't have work tomorrow ... how about tonight?" the detective replied, holding his gaze and intentionally pressing his knee against the inside of the android's leg.

“Sure.” 

He resisted the urge to lunge forward and just kiss the human's stupid mouth. He hadn't seen him in a week, and to his regret, he had missed his sorry excuse of a partner.   
But few people inside the DPD knew about their _"relationship"_ –They hadn't settled on what it was; basically because neither of them had grown a pair to talk about it, sticking to the ambiguous term of _we/us_ – so kissing him in the middle of the bullpen wasn't probably a good idea.

Since Richard had started working with the FBI, he spent a lot of time in Virginia or at the local bureau; that meant they didn’t get to see each other as much.   
He knew Nines wasn't allowed to return to fieldwork yet, but that was what Gavin missed the most, working cases with him. North wasn't bad, but she wasn't Richard.

"Hey, since you're back and all," he began, still pressing his thigh against the other. "You wanna go watch a movie?"

"Sure, your place or mine?" 

Kent asked out of courtesy. Gavin's house was more like a closet than a studio apartment, always full of nonsensical trash and in a horrible neighborhood. At least the android had had the decency of buying an actual bed, yet he seldom worried about having food around for the human.

"I… was thinking that we could go to this place in Ferndale. It's showing the movie you mentioned the other day," he began, tucking the few tools into the repair kit to put it back in his drawer.

" _The Shining?_ Really?! That is actually a pretty good idea. I have to check some things at the bureau, but then I’m free."

"Great, pick you up at seven?" 

"Okay, but for the love of God, bring a–"

"A helmet, I know…stop bitching about it, Jesus."

With his first paycheck, Gavin had bought himself a motorcycle that he rode like a maniac and well over the speed limit. Richard had lectured him about it several times already.

"Okay, see you at seven then… don't be late." Richard smile confidently, making the android stupidly jittery in his chair. His masking protocol kicked in and quickly hid his LED, but nothing could be done about the now pink blush covering his cheeks.

"Great. I've gotta get going to–… a scene; see you then, Meat sack," said the android a bit hastily, getting up from the desk and taking his jacket.

“Be safe, Gavin… no more spare parts,” he reminded him, suppressing a grin.

"Yeah, sure… What are ya' staring at, Anderson?! Fucking freak," Reed muttered, shoulder checking Connor who was standing next to his desk with a shocked expression. Neither Nines nor Gavin had noticed his presence.

North, who had just appeared from the break room, raised a hand to greet Nines, but the android hooked his arm around it, pulling her away.

"Hey, where are we going? We just got here!" She complained, half a bagel in hand and the rest in her mouth.

"Out; got a lead… get a move on, North." He insisted, pulling her to the door.

“Bye, Big guy! Nice seeing you!”

They disappeared as swiftly as they had entered, leaving Nines still sitting at his old desk, a pleased smile on his lips.

"Did Gavin Reed just ask you out on a date?" Connor's voice was a mere whisper, looking at his brother with a disconcerted expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Con," Nines replied, getting up and putting his jacket back on.

"Don't bullshit me, Nines… are you two–? You know," he said, serious as he could be. Behind him, Hank frowns a little, as if mentally wondering how blind his partner could be. Connor obliviousness and Hank's concrete thinking made them a surprisingly fitting duo.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop, Con, that's very rude. Come on, treat me to lunch."

“You earn more than I!”

Connor didn't drop the subject for the entire lunch, until Richard countered his question by asking about his relationship with Hank and if he was really taking him to Thanksgiving dinner as he had promised their mother. Suddenly, the lieutenant was much more interested in talking about the incoming NHL game between the Red Wings and the Maple Leaves.

\----------

Date:  
 _ **May 13rd** , 2039 _  
Time:  
 _PM **07:15** :00_

He left the FBI building a little later than he expected, caught up in some bureaucratic things he had left unfinished at Quantico. He grabbed his jacket, checking his watch, and heading to the elevator in a bit of a hurry.  
One of the good things about going out with an android –Nines had learned– was that even a childish prick like Gavin was relatively punctual, which made his neurotic self rest a little easier.

However, now was not the best attribute, to be honest. 

His phone rang once while he waited.

**_GV200 Gavin:_ **   
_Outside_   
_19:00 **√√**_   
_Come on_   
_19:10 **√√**_

**_9:_ **   
_Be right there._   
_19:11 **√√**_

He typed into his phone while still calling for the elevator, watching it slowly climb up to his floor. He noticed he had another unread text.

**_SA H. Cruz:_ **   
_Hey, you got there in one piece?_   
_18:26 **√√**_   
_I sent you some footage to check if you have time_   
_19:00 **√√**_   
_It's the statement of one of the Chinese merchant I interrogated yesterday. Something isn't right about it. I know u don't speak Cantonese, but could u have a look at his behavior?_   
_19:00 **√√**_

He saw Hunter was still online and quickly replied, Connor’s and Hank’s case coming to his mind.

**_R.K :_ **   
_Of course, sir. I'll check on it._   
_19:13 **√√**_

**_SA. H Cruz:_ **   
_Only IF you can_   
_19:13 **√√**_   
_Don't call me sir…_   
_Freaks me out_   
_19:14 **√√**_

**_R.K:_ **   
_You're my boss now, H._   
_19:14 **√√**_   
_I had the same feeling while you were questioning him. Like he was being misleading ... but not on purpose._   
_19:14 **√√**_   
_I'll have a look and email you. I have to fly back on Monday, after all._   
_19:15 **√√**_

**_SA. H Cruz:_ **   
_Yeah, I overheard u talking to Perkins_   
_Sorry about that, Detroit_   
_At least enjoy ur weekend_   
_19:17 **√√**_

He replied with a quick thank you and finally climbed on the elevator, squeezing himself in between some other FBI personnel. 

Telling Gavin he would have to fly back to Virginia, this time for a full two weeks, was something he wasn't looking forward to, and he hadn't yet told him about the job offer. He had convinced himself he wouldn't have to do so, since he wasn't going to take it anyway.

He was glad to see Gavin's bike at the entrance of the FBI building, the android sitting there waiting for him with a pissed expression. The voices in his head, always whispering strange obsessions, suddenly fell silent.

"Hey!"

"You're late!" he shouted, throwing him a helmet. Richard barely managed to catch it. "Come on, get on the bike… we gotta hurry."

"Where's yours? You haven't bought one yet, have you?" the agent admonished, putting it on as he sat behind Gavin. His stomach began doing all kinds of flips and turns, and not precisely from the prospect of going on a date, but Gavin's reckless driving.

"You should thank me for even stopping to grab one in the first place... Come on, we're gonna be late– Hold on tight, Kent!"

He barely had time to wrap his arms around the other man's waist before he floored it up Woodward avenue towards Ferndale 90 mph.

Richard clutched himself to the android’s back a little alarmed, and Gavin would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy feeling the detective’s heart beating like crazy against his back and his arms crushing him, squeezing harder every time he took a turn.

Gavin happened to like scary movies, but was, at the same time, jumpy and easy to scare.   
It surprised Richard to see the tough-looking android recoiling in his seat at the sight of the twins on the hallway, clutching his arm when the elevator doors slid open to let a river of blood flood the Overlook Hotel entrance, and how his LED flashed furiously red when Jack Torrance finally exclaimed his catchphrase.

Richard just enjoyed the film; he hadn't gone to a movie theater in ages, and Gavin had actually bought him popcorn. If this was the android's idea of a date, it wasn't half bad– he liked popcorn.

  
"I don't get it; the hotel was hunted? Possessed?" Gavin asked him as they walked from the parking lot to Richard's building. It was still a little cold for March, but it wasn't as unbearable as before. They stayed close to each other.

"The hotel is an evil entity in itself, and in some way, made everyone inside it lose their minds. It's not as clear as in the book, and it diverges a lot from it, but it's a really great movie," the detective explained, closing his jacket a little tighter around him and shoving his hands into his pockets. "I think I have it somewhere in my apartment."

"Is that a lame excuse to get me into your bed, Nines?" Gavin smirked at him tauntingly and a bit childishly, both standing on the steps of said building.

The detective just rolled his eyes.

"As if you weren't going to stay with me tonight."

Although he said it with an annoyed tone, Gavin knew that the human was playing with him, pressing his hand to the small of his back to let him in first.

The android stayed at his home four out of seven days a week, even longer since he started flying to Virginia. He said it was to take care of Bucket, but they both knew that the cat had fended off for herself most of her life; she didn't need them, she just liked the petting and the free food.

"I’m just going up to your place to pet Bucket."

"You've taken care of her all week, Gavin."

"Hey, I saw her first… and you just took her for yourself, you greedy bastard."   
He waited for Nines to open the door to enter the dark apartment, no need for light to find his way to the cat that rested comfortably on the couch.

He didn't make it past the threshold, as Nines stopped him before he could get any further, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him so his back was against the detective's chest, leaning against the door.

"You missed me, detective?" the android purred, feeling Richard's lips on his neck and then his teeth, pricking his skin and biting into his alloy. 

"Your behavior today was acceptable, Gavin; I think rewarding you is appropriate,” Nines' deep, slow voice murmured in his ear, hands moving from the android's abdomen to his chest, grazing his nipples through the shirt.

Gavin groaned, panting a little, before breaking his hold and turning around to face him. The tiny light from his LED illuminated his annoyed features.

“Wait a minute, just _acceptable_?"

“Yes, or is this your idea of an outstanding date?”

“Hey! I paid for your food!”

“Popcorn is hardly a meal, Gavin…”

"You're a fucking princess, you know that?"

Nines let out a laugh that tried to be condescending but was sincere and happy instead.   
He leaned down and kissed the android lightly on the lips, never too sure if Gavin would push him or kiss him back. Fortunately, he opted for the latter, biting his lower lip just to have the last word.

“It was a good date. Thank you, Gavin.”

“Sure, okay…”

Yellow LED, blue cheeks, and Gavin was all sort of colors upon Richard’s eyes, looking away and hiding his face, at a loss of words once again.

They kissed again, long and slow, Richard resting against the door with Reed pressed flush against his body, even raising to the tips of his toes to make up for the height difference. He let his lips be parted, the android slipping his tongue and making the kiss dirtier, needier, while Richard instead teased him by pulling away.

The android kept trying to get his hands inside the human's clothes, pulling at his dress shirt and tugging his belt, but Nines would hold his wrists or bite his ear, anything to delay the process (much to Gavin's discontent).

"Babe, come on… I haven't touch myself in a week, and I'm dying here," Gavin panted, feeling Richard's hands deliberately avoid his growing erection, fondling his thighs and ass but never his groin.

"And why is that?" the detective insisted, fingers tracing his nape down his neck, making the android tremble.

"You fucking asshole… because you told me to!" He blurted out, grabbing Nines' shirt, not sure if he was going for a punch or a kiss .

"And you actually listened to me? I'm impressed," the human praised, finally setting his left hand over his tenting pants, very subtle, not applying any pressure. The android shivered, letting out a soft moan.

"Is that why you're so anxious, Gavin?... maybe we should wait a little longer," he teased again, taking his hand away because– why not? Edging his partner was something they both enjoyed, even though GV denied it even to himself.

"Oh, fuck no! Give me a break, I can't fucking do that!" He exclaimed, aggravated, pinning him to the door. "Fuck me, Richard… Right here and now, or I’ll kick your sorry excuse for an ass."

The human laughed again, unfazed by his threats, and kissed his temple. He rolled his hips against the android’s, realizing that he had as much pent-up desire as his partner.

"Alright, but let me get the lights… you may be able to see, but I can't," the human said quietly, gripping the android's hips a little tighter than he intended.

Gavin moved quickly, his hand darting to the wall where he knew the main panel was, and illuminating the entire apartment with a single command. He turned to look at the human, not saying a thing.

"I'm okay… but thank you," Richard replied to the nonverbal question, releasing his grip to caress the android's side lazily. Gavin nodded but kept a careful watch over the human's expression and heartbeat. He was frowning.

"Bedroom?"

"Bedroom," Nines confirmed and untangled his arms from Reed's waist, watching the shorter man dart across the living room as he stripped off his clothes with a coordination only an android could have.   
He stopped by the bedroom door and turned to see if Richard was following him.

"Nines, you okay?"

"Yes, be right with you," he assured him, leaving his gun and badge on the counter. He spun around and turned the door lock once, then twice. He made sure the door was locked nine times, and only then he headed to the bedroom.

Not everything was great.

The GV200 knew because Richard had told him, in a choppy and sometimes incoherent rant, what his problem was. The detective hadn't planned on doing it that way, but he should have known by now that things with Gavin could hardly be planned out.

The android was curious by nature and, the first thing he wanted to do on the first day of the year was to read and examine everything that existed about the revolution, about Kara, …and about Coffey.

Richard, tired as he was and having fallen sleep on the taxi on their way home from Graff's, had allowed him access to his ARI so he could read as much he pleased. He hadn't expected the android to find the psychological report Dr. Nowak had written about him, and, of course, Gavin had read it without an ounce of respect for his privacy.

So when he awoke that night of January 2nd, drenched in sweat and screaming into nothingness once again, Gavin was already by his side, wrapping his arms around him and holding him till his heart agreed to stay inside his chest.

He had told him everything right there, tugged to his chest like a kid, refusing to cry but unable to keep his voice from cracking a few times. Gavin asked a few questions but remained silent for most of the story.  
He then had fallen into an uneasy but deep sleep, knowing the other was by his side, keeping guard.

  
Gavin had left for the next morning, and Richard accepted the possibility that he wouldn't come back. After all, he was free to do as he liked, and was probably confused and upset about coming back to life and being undeviated against his will.

But he returned three days later, around midnight, his clothes caked in mud and in his own thirium, asking Nines if he could stay there for a while until he figured out what to do with himself. Nines accepted.  
He never told him what he did those days, and the detective never inquired.

  
"You or me?" Gavin asked, turning off the shower as he stepped outside, trailing water onto the bathroom floor.  
Richard handed him a towel, absently drying his hair, and he proceeded to do the same, his eyes lingering on every bite mark and hickey he'd left on the detective's pale skin.

"Hmm, I think I'm good tonight... and you?" The human replied, walking back into the bedroom, fetching some clothes and a set of clean sheets. The bed was a mess, and he refused to sleep like that.

"Easy night; ten bucks…" 

"You're feeling lucky, Reed?"

"Yeah, why not? Its Friday, none of us have to work tomorrow, and you fucked me nice and thoroughly." He stretched out, pulling on a faded pink T-shirt and boxers. "I think I'll be nightmare free…"

"Even after the movie?"

"Oh, fuck off!... I had forgotten all about those twins! Shit," he grumbled.

"You can't forget, GV…" he reminded him with a suffocated laugh, slapping his ass as he passed him just to piss him off a bit more.

  
It had begun as a joke, a really cruel one, but a joke nonetheless– _Who's going to wake the other up because of nightmares?_  
And, granted, Gavin's nightmares, as any other android's, weren't the same kind of film-like projection humans had. But, instead, something more akin to a redundant code that startled his stasis-mode, overbearing his ability to differentiate reality from his internal processes.

At first, Jason and Ralph had suspected it had something to do with the redemption program, but as the time passed, more and more androids reported having these so-called "dreams". The conclusion they reached was attributing dreams to deviancy (the go-to scapegoat when it came to android-related stuff), and no one had delved deeper into the subject. 

… But Gavin was not a deviant.

They started placing bets on each other just to make the subject less awkward, especially the first time Gavin had woken up in the middle of the night convinced he'd been drowning and freezing, kicking and thrashing in bed as Nines tried to restrain him.   
He had almost broken his arm again in the struggle.

"Come on, let’s get this over with… I'm tired." Richard pointed to the bed, suspecting that his partner was more than capable of simply laying down as he was. Although Gavin didn't need to sleep, he had gotten into the habit of doing so; the human suspected it had to do with helping him sleep as well, but didn't want to mention it out loud.

"Gavin? Hey… come on," he called again, raising his head to figure out what exactly the other was doing.

The android was just standing by the closet, his LED spinning slowly.

"Gavin?... You can't be on stasis already, come on," he accused, a bit annoyed by his joke.

Reed didn't answer; he stood there, eyes fixed on some distant point.

"GV, come on... not funny." Richard quickly straightened up, touching his arm.

As soon as the detective touched him, the android seemed to wake up and looked at Nines with a confused expression. "You okay? Your heart is beating like crazy."

"Me?! What about you? You just froze like if you just –… bluescreened or something!"

"Really? I was just checking something on my software. Stop being such a wimp; I'm okay… plus, I'm not fucking Windows, Meat sack, I don't BSoD."

"Says the android that blacks out every time he comes," Nines taunted, throwing one side of the comforter to him.

"Hey, I'm getting the hang of not doing so… and you like it, pervert."

Richard snorted; the android wasn't wrong about that, though.

"Did that man smack you in the head with the bat?" the detective asked, finally crawling into bed.

"Nah… he did try.” 

Gavin pressed his back against Nines's side and tangled his legs with his, waiting for the other to settle in to turn off the light. "Hey, you gotta work tomorrow?"

"You know I don't... I told you already," he replied, yawning and leaning his forehead against Gavin's warm back; he let his arm fall over his waist, his palm settling against his lower abdomen.

"You did?"

"Androids can't forget."

"Nah, we can't…."

And yet, he couldn't recall that conversation.

**_Initiating Stasis_ **   
_Estimated duration: 07:59:59_   
**_System diagnosis in process:_ **   
_Scanned completed… 2 errors_   
_Error corrected: 0/2…_   
_-Error detected on Core Memory System. File X1f321Te3.1 corrupted._   
_File X1f321Te3.1 couldn’t be repaired. Do you want to delete file X1f321Te3.1 [ **Y** /N]?_   
_File deleted._   
_-Instability on Redepmtion.exe_

_Please contact a certified android care provider for further evaluation._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is it.
> 
> This chapter acts as some kind of "after-credits scene" and maybe as a teaser into something else. I have some ideas, as you might have noticed, but I'm really unsure if I should do a follow-up story.  
> Would you be interested in that?
> 
> As always, thank you very much for your comments. I'll reply to every single one ASAP <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> As always, feedback is very much appreciated. I had no beta so if anyone- and I mean, anyone- would like to give an advice or spotted a typo, I will be forever grateful. English is not my first language so I'm pretty nervous about this.


End file.
